Trials and Tribulations
by SatoriSama
Summary: She is smart, cunning, and suprisingly quick. But when it becomes apparent she wasnt telling the the whole truth about her thieving past, things get complicated. Will the detectives accept her as one of their own, or cast her out like her own family did?
1. Part I Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Introduction**

I did not create Yuu Yuu Hakusho. Nor do I own the series. I am not making any money off this. Okay maybe there is some money involved (just kidding!!). Yoshihiro Togashi - creator of Yuu Yuu Hakusho. He is the head honcho. He owns Yuu Yuu Hakusho; at least I think he does. If he doesn't like what I am doing, I answer to him and his people. He is also the creator of Hunter x Hunter and the Level E series. Fun fact about Yoshihiro Togashi: He's married to Naoko Takeuchi, creator of Sailormoon!

This story is told from a characters point of view. Not mine. The way they perceive things or act is solely based on their personality. Every once and a while, the point of view changes to some one else's eyes. At the beginning of each narrative, the character will be stated for your own knowledge. And if there is no character stated, it is a general point of view, nobody's personal thoughts. This is so you don't go, "Wait! Hiei is not a girl. Did he get a sex change??" There are some new characters I, your genius author, have so brilliantly created. No, they are not a product of Yuu Yuu Hakusho. And yes, they truly are mine.

A little bit about me, the author:

**My name is Satorisama ****. To many I am known as "dori" or "em". I answer to "child be quiet" during 6th period geometry often as well. But to few, I am known as, for lack of a better term, a human Female hiei minus the super awesome killing skills and psychic third eye. Well, enough about me here is what you've been waiting for, the story. The spelling may be wrong, the grammar may be bad, but what do you expect from a writer who's just a 15-year-old fan???**

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**_Chapter 1: The Beginning_**

(this is the only chapter in total 3rd person all knowing view: i cant write in third person so bear with me on this)

The two reapers walk side by side with an impassive girl down a long and winding hallway escorting her to her trial before the Prince of Souls. Uneasy these two experienced reapers are from being so close to a couple of the most powerful mortals in all of the five realms combined. They continually send anxious glances behind them at the demon cloaked in clothing comprised of what seemed to be the darkest of shadows, praying to the gods they devoted them selves to that he doesn't decide to murder them both. They also send looks of fright toward the brunette girl striding along between both of them, but if the captive notices the glances, she doesn't comment. The plum haired reaper begins to study the young woman beside her from the corner of her eyes, starting with the woman's head and ending at her feet.

The girl is much shorter than herself, barely scraping four and a half feet tall. Her hair is long and the color is milk chocolaty, ending just below the small of her back in an uneven line. It is pulled back under a scarf of a deep scarlet fabric and edged in red, orange, and yellow beads that form chains from its hem. From the scarf also hangs a few strands of decorative beading comprised of larger multicolored beads, silver coins from nameless places, a few semiprecious stones, and, unsurprisingly, at least five dice of many shapes and sizes. Under the scarf, lies the top of the girl's ears, which seem to be imprisoned in a prison of green, blue, and violet hoops, all in various shades of the mentioned colors. The sequence ended in a large hoop of all the colors of the rainbow, starting with red and ending in black.

The girls dress is much more dismal than what adorns her head. A black tank top edged in the same beaded trim from the scarf stops just above the girls' midriff, partially exposing a perfectly toned abdomen to any one who gazes at her. A silver chain with alternating evenly spaced silver and gold coins drapes unevenly around the slim waist with an air of enjoyment. The woman's dark pants are baggy, and somehow, at the same time, form flattering in a most complimentary manner. Their darkness ends in a design of flames that sparkle because they are made of a shimmering cloth laid on top of the dull material of the pants. Under the hem of the pants and on the girl's feet, is a pair of sandals that seem three sizes to big for the small feet.

The wine haired reaper chuckles softly trying to stifle the laugh that will undoubtedly escape from her chest. Koenma's doing, she noted while looking at the girl's large floppy shoes. The prisoner couldn't run or fight in such footwear, but that thought was quickly repressed as the reaper remembered that if the prisoner began to fight, she, as a reaper and not a warrior, would not have a chance. In studying the face of the young woman, she became unsure in the prisoner's will to fight.

The pale face of the girl never wavered from the windowless hallway in front of her. The forlorn expression that adorned her face had not altered from the time she awoke in the ward from her daylong coma-like sleep. She seldom talked to anyone, and even then, she only seemed to be asking rhetorical questions to herself. Her eyes were disturbingly vacant, never showing any sensations other than submission to her captivity.

Though however many times the tall violet haired reaper ran this over in her head, she still held the thought of this quiet girl making one last stand for freedom, unwilling to go down with out a fight. She sensed a spark of immortal life inside this seemingly lifeless girl. She should, as it was her specialty as a high-ranking reaper of souls to be able to feel ones life force without effort or exertion of her spirit energy. She turned her head to look at the captive and, surprisingly, the vibrant green eyes meet her own deep gray ones.

Shocked, the reaper looked back at the demon man walking behind them. He had noticed this simple gesture as well and felt that something was going to happen. His gut feeling told him to be prepared for the worst. He could not forget the large bruises the prisoner had given him on their last conscious meeting. That was over a week ago and his smallest bruise was still larger than the human sphere called a baseball. He shook his head at his use of such a stupid analogy and sought out a better word for his bruises. After a moment of pondering, he found one word that describes the black and blue marks perfectly. Painful.

"So close to freedom. Yet, I am yet still so far from it," the captive whispered breaking the silence while staring ahead at the hall now shifting into a marvelous grand staircase, while making the two female reapers and the male demon behind suck in their breaths as if it was their last.

The staircase itself was tall, winding up to the top floor of the palace and seemed to be built entirely out of white marble. Immense chandeliers hang from the ceiling full of lit candles whose light reflects off the large crystals, giving the room a soft glowing feeling. Along the right wall, above the railing of woven gold and black marble, there are windows made of fragments a colored and clear glass that shed multicolored shadows across the floor.

As the 4 beings begin to walk up the stairs, they notice that at the top of the steps waits a group of people waiting to escort the prisoner the rest of the way, allowing the two reapers to leave and return to their duties. The black haired human named Yusuke Urameshi looks down with interest along with the taller, carrot top human named Kazuma Kuwabara that looks scared of the group walking up the stairs. They converse quietly with each other, the topics ranging from school to their job here in the Soul Realm as detectives.

A few steps below these unlikely pair of allies, a late teenage boy who is called many things ranging from Kurama to stupid fox, stands awaiting his demon friend who walks slowly behind the three girls. The boy's long, crimson tresses cascade down his back ending just below his shoulders. His vibrant emerald eyes flicker for a moment as he realizes that his friend is uneasy. He and the demon below had always been close, as close as brothers which was convenient because neither of them had a brother at any point in their lifetimes. His attention isn't entirely on his friend anymore, but on the human thief who looks at the window and makes a most unexpected movement, but, strangely, it wasn't all that unexpected to any of the men or women present to witness the action.

The brunette thief walked over to the only totally clear window on the stairs. She jumps catlike up on to the windowsill with grace. Laying a hand on the window she traces many patterns on the glass with the ends of her fingers. After a moment she lays her forehead against the glass and her hand turns into a tight fist. Her face shows no emotions, only emptiness.

The redheaded Kurama, being the caring, but inquisitive, human he was, walked over and extended a hand to her. He beckoned to her, asking her to come down from her perch. The thief eyed him and he could see that she was thinking this over in her head. She jumped with skill to the chandelier above, resting only a moment before jumping down to the railing opposite the window, finally coming to rest on the stairs once again. Kurama turned around to face her once more.

"I learned never to accept anything from strangers," the thief girl said, her eyes returning to their normal stare filled with not even a solitary emotion. She lowered her eyes as a sign of submission and respect to Kurama, showing she knew that she was under his command for the time being.

"Did your mommy teach you that or something?" Yusuke asks mockingly from the top of the stairs while watching this girl intently.

Everyone present watched in horror as the thief looked up. Her eyes were filled with emotions they had never seen her have. A convincing afterimage was left behind as the girl ran up the stairs, not even leaving a blur of color from her clothing behind. All of a sudden she was in front of Yusuke. She punched him in the gut region sending him flying backwards into a large column. She continues to beat on him like a bag of sand, making him yell in agony with every blow. With a voice filled with anger, hatred, and pain showing unrestrained, the thief yells, "Don't you ever bring up my origins! You know nothing of what I went through as a child! Do you know how long it took to forget my mother's face! And until you go through such pains as I have, I do not think you have any right to talk to me about my past!"

The thief's now vibrantly shaded green eyes glow in the candlelight giving them an eerie look that sends chills down every one's back. These chills bring movement back into the bodies of the detectives as well and the two reapers who were frozen upon seeing the first punch thrown. Kuwabara and Kurama run over and restrain the thief's arms as the girls follow the black blur that stops at the top of the stairs.

"Gosh, Hiei. You're losing your touch. I got here before you, so hah," says Kuwabara lightheartedly to the demon in black who scowls. His name was Hiei and the only reason he didn't get their first is because he thought Yusuke deserved the beating he got. You never make fun of a thief's background, let alone a hostile thief whose objective is escape and revenge on her captors.

The Soul Reapers help the injured Yusuke to his feet, supporting him with their bodies. His nose looked broken and his chest looked swollen. He gazed at the thief then allowed himself to be taken to the medical ward for some treatment. He bites his tongue as he realizes he is about to curse at the damn thief girl actually had the moxie to beat him up. Him. One of the BattleLords of the Underworld. He couldn't believe she overpowered him either.

If looks can kill, then the thief's livid gaze would have slaughtered every one of her captors. But instead of focusing on those two men that were restraining her arms, her attention was undivided on the fire demon in front of her. _Hiei_, she thought, _what a fine name for such a powerful demon. _She seemed to be sizing him up for all he was worth, matching her abilities with his in her mind, mentally testing out her strengths on his, looking for his weaknesses while reminding herself to guard her own.

After a moment, the girl's eyes darted quickly around the large hall, looking for some means of a swift escape. She immediately and purposely overlooked the windows, having already tested their immense hardness with a wave of energy she sent through one earlier. She noted that the columns could provide shelter from some sort of spirit attack. The decorative statues could hold some importance in the escape, maybe as a distraction to her pursuers. _If I can get up the stairs I can break through the dome of glass acting as a skylight above, it is not as protected as the rest of the windowpanes,_ she considered silently.

She made her move by breaking away from the two restraining her when Hiei had his head turned listening to Yusuke moan in pain. Grabbing his sword and pushing him down, she ran by him throwing the sword into a column to distract him enough to get a head start up the stairs. She didn't take the sword, it was wrong to steal another's blade without proper provocation or misdeed, plus little good a katana would do for her, its blade was not even the proper length or weight for her to be able to swing it without misjudging the distance between her target and weapon's edge.

Her rate of acceleration was incredible going up the stairs, immediately leaving the sight of the detectives with the first carefully planned steps.

"Hiei, get her! Your faster than us!" Kurama yells at the stunned man in black who looks violated to the worst degree.

The female bandit was halfway up the second flight before she looked back. A black streak was following her and was rapidly gaining speed. _He is very fast, but so am I,_ she chuckled to herself. He was pushing his limits, so she would do the same. Putting all her energy and concentration into what was most likely to be her final chase, she raised her velocity maybe more than twice as much as her original rate.

Kurama and Kuwabara follow, much slower than the two faster people running ahead. Suddenly the black streak comes in contact with the dark reddish one. The two figures come into view suddenly, hitting the steps hard with a large thump.

"LET GO OF ME BEFORE I DO SOMETHING YOU'LL REGRET!!!" the fallen bandit yells trying to wriggle her waist out of the strong grasp of Hiei. She looks up at the ceiling. _Only two floors to go before I reach the glass, _she thinks to herself. She tenses the muscles in her legs, readying herself for her next move. She raises a foot barely off the ground, positioning it so when totally extended, the foot would be lodged in Hiei's muscular chest. Looking behind her at the human boys struggling to make it up the second flight of stairs, she decided it is time to strike.

Hiei had sensed her muscles tense and could feel, rather than see, the thief smile in amusement. _She is going to do something, but I am not sure I want to receive whatever attack she wants to give,_ he thought in his mind He was tempted to let her go, he had been a thief once, he knew how it felt to be in a place you would rather not be. But as she rammed her foot into his chest, sending him backwards into the wall, he knew it was too late to ask her to stop, ask her to reconsider just going to see Koenma and get her sentence, and tell her it wasn't so bad being a Detective. After all, you didn't do much and the terms aren't that bad, although he hadn't thought that at the time of his sentence. As he saw her glance back at his figure flying through the air, he thought he saw her wince and mouth the words 'sorry 'bout that, but you understand why I had to do it' though later he would doubt whether he had seen anything at all.

The thief started to go up the stairs. She stopped, momentarily, only to gaze back at Hiei whose figure was still stuck in the recess it had made in the wall. After spending more time loitering around the uppermost flight of stairs, Hiei figured out why she was waiting. _She is waiting for me, she still wants to fight. Why though. She can get away now, go on with her life. Maybe it is the thrill of a chase or the adrenaline rush you get when you fight, _Hiei ponders as he climbs out of the wall and watches the thief turn around and start to run up the stairs again. But she does not get very far before getting stopped again.

Kurama had always thought fast on his feet. Upon seeing Hiei's short form hit the wall in front of him, he decided to stop the thief anyway he could. He gazed up and looked for something he could stop the runaway robber with. Then he saw it. About 6 feet below the girl was a potted weeping willow tree. _That is all I need, _Kurama thought as he began to run up the stairs. Upon getting close to the willow, he pulled one of the strands off the tree. He used his natural ability with plants to fashion a net of some sorts. After lobbing the great strand up the stairs, he watched in triumph as the thief fell trapped in a prison of leaves.

_Damn it,_ the bandit thought as she realized she had underestimated the human, _I thought he was slower than that. _Then the bandit felt her body being slung over a strong shoulder and being carried down a bunch of stairs. _I don't want to give up, but it seems I have lost. I might as well go and see this, this Prince. What have I got to lose? Well, everything really._ When she opens her eyes, the crook girl noticed she wasn't that far from the ground. _Well, at least if I fall, _she comforted herself, _it wont hurt that much._

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	2. Part I Chapter 2: The Trial

**_Chapter 2: The Trial_**

Koenma's office is large and spacious. It looks and feels like royalty belongs in the rich colored walls and deep stained woods. In the far back lies his desk, covered with files and random papers, some just there to make it look as if he was really busy doing something. On his desk is a small laptop computer that is really his processing system for souls. His father, King Enma had finally given in to his only son's pleas for a more up to date way to file information though King Enma really believed in doing the things the old fashioned way. Behind this large desk is a large window showing the vast plains of the Soul Realm and the long winding River Styx. Reapers and Ferry Girls can been seen whizzing around on their oars which allow them to fly or cross the River Styx alone or with spirits that need to be processed. The burgundy colored walls are decorated with paintings of odd beings in strange places. In the middle of this sits the lordly prince anxiously awaiting the arrival of his captive and the trial that will undoubtedly change the future of his detective's lives forever.

Satori-sama: from here on out, its first person veiw. i luv first person!!!

**_Koenma:_**

I watch in silence as Kurama opens the door to my office looking bedraggled and slightly irritated. Kuwabara follows next his arms crossed and looking slightly less unkempt than the Human in front of him. Bringing up the rear was Hiei. He looked as he always did, his expression thoughtful, his words few, but his clothes had many rips and tears and I can see a large lump beginning to form under his hairline on the back of his skull. Over Hiei's shoulder is a figure encased in a plant like tomb, restricting any movement of the body beside the necessary function of breathing. Absent from my detectives is none other than Yusuke. He was here a second ago, hmmm...oh well, he'll come sooner or later.

After whipping out his katana and after slicing through the thief's bonds, Hiei edged back into the shadows he tends to favor over light itself. I don't take very much notice of this because, hey let's face it, Hiei isn't all that social. At least, not yet. The thief in a spiteful reverence gave me a bow mixed with a curtsey, providing her with a slight air of disrespectfulness. She shot me a smile that makes me freeze to my core. I have seen that smile before somewhere, but I cannot remember where.... hmm, I guess it doesn't really matter.

The thief looks pleased with herself as she sits down in the chair to the left of my desk, facing the detectives and myself. She stays silent and she keeps her secret to herself. I ask her nicely, hoping to get this critical bit of information out of her, "What is your name?" She looks startled as she replies, "Why do you care, you don't want to know me." I wince at her bluntness and I begin to wonder about her past. About what made her so bitter and snappy.

After a moment, I can't help but to see some similarities between Hiei and her. They are both very short for their age, well I don't know how old she is but I can tell she has been around for a while. They both have large brooding almond shaped eyes, though the irises vary in their vivacious shades of azure and crimson. Both also control speed faster than most eyes cannot follow without difficulty.

"Shall I name you then?" I say cruelly not wanting to play this game with her anymore. I don't have time to wait for her to come around.

I see her glare daggers at me and her body seems ready to hurl itself out of the chair and toward me, ready to take me down. I decide that I need to keep her restrained and I send a look at Kuwabara. Kuwabara shakes his head imply 'no way in the world are you going to get me to watch her'. Kurama looks drained and tired, and he should be. He has every right to be. That net he made out of the willow vines took a lot of spirit energy. Hiei nods and moves closer just beyond the edge of the light, making him seem menacing and powerful. Daja looks at him with an appraising eye, seemingly re-evaluating his strength.

Daja closes her eyes and upon opening them a stare of complete amusement fills them entirely. She says to me loudly as if presenting a battle lord or something of that nature, "The name is Daja. It sounds short and jagged, just like me." After a moment she adds, "and Koenma, I might as well warn you now, you ain't ever seen a girl like me." Her eyes turn a vibrant blue tinged with neon green and the look sends chills down my back that go all the way to the tips of my toes.

As she closes her eyes, she rubs her wrists as if something is uncomfortable underneath the skin. Hmm. She looks as if she wants to sigh but doesn't want to show how tired or hurt she actually is. Might as well get to the point, so I say to her, "Daja. You have been found in possession of a highly powerful and stolen sword. How do you plead before the Prince of Souls?" She smirks at me and replies with her voice laced with mirth, "Guilty as charged!! Clap me in the irons, and let me serve my condemnation. It will be fun," she looks at my detectives, sending seductive eyes and smirks their way, "trying to escape again. Oh, Koenma, I suppose you haven't ever felt this, but the adrenaline pumps through your veins when you get chased. I would love to feel that thrill again, at least one more time before my life ends not that that would be bad mind you."

So, she wants to be put in the dungeon. That's really weird. And if I didn't know any better, I would say she was crazy. Well, actually. She very well may be mad for all I know about her. After thinking this over, I decide on a mild punishment for the blade wasn't that rare and she didn't seem all that wicked, just smug and conceited at her rotten streak of luck. "Daja, you have found guilty for your crimes. Your punishment is," I stop momentarily to think over my words, return to behind my desk, sit in my wonderful **new** rolly chair in front of my equally wonderful computer terminal in all its automated glory. No more rubber-stamping for me! Plus I hear that there are games on this machine...Ok, focus on the task at hand, Koenma. Focus, Focus... I stay quiet for a while longer, just to add to the suspense in the atmosphere.

"Damn you, Koenma! Just say it!" Daja says trying to control herself. I decide on continuing because I don't think Hiei would be thrilled about having to save me and Kurama and Kuwabara look as if they are to tired to even move. I say slowly, while moving papers around my desk making it look as if I was busy, "For your punishment, you will serve as Detective for me. Your service will be five years long. And the gods know that my current teams could use your help."

She looks taken aback, but then she snickers, which turns into a full fit of giggles, "oh your lordship, you have to be kidding. You do not really want me to be a full-fledged peacekeeper, do you? By the way, I do not help, I hinder."

"Daja," I reply seriously, "that is your punishment." Her face falls and she scowls, "hn." Another thing she has in common with Hiei. Must have been treated very badly, maybe abandoned or beat as a child. I suppose I will never know. Upon me telling her this judgment was final, she gained a new aura around her. This sensation was filled with coldness, colder than hoarfrost itself. It was also filled with revulsion and frustration.

I think about it and wonder if...I am rudely interrupted in my thoughts by a harsh voice asking me gruffly, "can I see Night Shade?" I look at Daja, and reply, "yes. Hiei and Kurama will escort you." I notice Kurama wince and Hiei look away. I mouth the words sorry to them and they seem to just shrug off my deepest apologies. Daja gets up and walks out of the room followed by her escorts and I can feel her aura get even icier.

I wonder if I did the right thing as I dismiss Kuwabara who informs me now that Daja punched out Yusuke and currently he is in the hospital zone. I wonder what he did do deserve the beating, but he probably deserved it. Botan knocks on my door and I smile. "Koenma sir, are you busy?" I silently control my emotions as my current head Reaper of Souls smiles her trademark grin and closes the door. "No, I am not Botan. You know I am never to busy to see you." She giggles nervously and grins again. She sits down in front of me and I nod at the file in her hands and say, "What is that?"

"Daja's file...I think she is not all she appears, Koenma sir." I lean back in my chair. "It says that this human was born in 1986 of the Human Calendar, but...the file has been tampered with and I can find nothing else about her but, her 'age' and her alleged favorite attack, which happens to be called 'Roll of the Dice'." I glance out the window and say distractedly, "Botan. Let's take a break, would you like to go on a walk." Botan's face looks confused for a moment until she realizes what I mean. She giggles and says lightheartedly, "of course, Koenma, I would love to!"

_**Hiei**:_

Damn. The back of my head just above where the top of the neck meets bottom of my skull feels as big as a rock or perhaps Kuwabara's head, if that is demonly possible for me. Why Koenma said we should escort her to whatever a nightshade is, is far beyond me. I chance a side glance at Kurama, and to my surprise, he is looking at me as well. His emerald eyes look sad an weary, almost making me want to tell him to bear the pain with honor as I do for I was beaten plus hurled against walls and I never once have complained about the splitting pains that rush through my body with every slow step I take, but I do not say anything because it would break Kurama's heart to know that I think he is weak. I turn my gaze back to in front of me, my eyes scanning Daja with interest that I don't show on the outside. She seems to be some kind of thief lord if that is possible for a human teenage girl. What is really interesting is the way she treated Koenma. It was like she did not care what happened to her, or what was done to her. Maybe she is just tired of having to go on day after day after day with an empty feeling inside. I am not sure I want to know anything about her other than her strengths and weaknesses, for we are on the same detective squad now and she could be a very strong ally when in serious conflicts. I sense, however, she feels differently than I do, as if she knows that her freedom has been violated and there is not even the slightest chance she may ever be free again.

The farther we walk from the trial, the more curiosity fills me with an itching desire to ask what the hell a nightshade is exactly for I have never heard of such a mysterious object named for a color of darkness. But as we start to make way for the front doors, I realize it must be some kind of animal or some object of that same general design. We head toward a large meadow and Daja puts her hand up over her eyes shielding out the bright sun's glares from her vision. After a quick survey of the land, she jumps on top of a slightly taller fence post and whistles a sharp sound that seems to be calling for something that resides in some land dreadfully far away.

A few moments pass and a strange sound fills the air. It kind of sounds like a galloping horse, but, the beats are very rapid making it sound like it is going very fast. Soon, a fast paced horse comes into my vision. Daja flips gracefully off the top of the pole and lands on the ground a few feet away. Over to her trots a small horse, maybe a little more than three inches taller than her, and she smiles, just barely letting her happiness show on her visage.

"Hey, nightshade. How you been doing in this strange pastureland?" Daja asks this vile creature with what seems to be a deep affection towards it. The horse answers with a whinny and a quick rear. "That bad, huh?" She says quietly. The horse bobs its head up and down as if saying yep, that's right. I watch with narrowed eyes as Daja runs her hands across the horse's back, then down it's legs looking for injuries. After a moment, she sighs and says, "this is it, 'shade. I have to let you go. Someone besides me can be your master now because I messed up and got caught. I am not worthy of your respect or devotion. Before you go, though, do you think we have one more stride in us?" The horse lets out a deep breath and Daja snickers, "me neither."

She strokes the horse's neck, twirling her fingers in the long thick mane sprouting from the skin along the ridge of the horse's back. She takes a long look at the horse and says finally as a means of emancipation for the steed, "Nightshade, stealthiest shadow of the darkness unto which only the bravest of flora and fauna venture, I release you from your long and misery inflicting servitude under the thief who bound you unto herself to ensure your own safety. May the shadows of the underworld leave you and you return to the light as you once were."

Daja pulls her hands back while still firmly grasping the black hair of the charger. Like a cloak being pulled off, the shadow left the horse. Its coat, once a deep raven color, now is a brilliant white comprised of every color imaginable. Daja is holding a deep black mantle in her hands. She lets it drop to the ground and disappear as she once again lays her hands on the mare's side. "As a means to prove your new found independence, I shall rename you for what you now have become. As pure as the dawn of time you are, before evil touched all the realms leaving it scarred forever with stains it cannot ever wash off. With this quality in mind, I christen you the Ethereal Dawn; light to all who cannot find their path for you will always be nearby to guide those to their dwelling places. May you, Dawn, have descendants whose number breaches the hundreds mark and are the most sought out animals all realms combined. As a token of my deepest and most heartfelt emotions, I leave you with a freedom I do not possess myself. Leave and live on, you are free from now until eternity." Daja removes her hands and looks towards the ground.

I look at Kurama and notice that he looks sympathetic towards Daja. I consider my own feelings and suppress them. It has taken me so long to hide these emotions in my soul. Emotions only get you in trouble, so why follow them blindly to your demise. I look at Daja again. Her eyes look as dark and stony as green can get as the horse takes a few steps away and turn around to look at Daja again. It looks sad as Daja nods and looks toward the horizon with a blank face. The horse trots up and nudges Daja one more time. Daja absentmindedly rubs the sides of the horse's head and says, "You will remain with me in memory for ever and a day." With that the horse turns around and gallops off, leaving its former master behind to watch it sprint into the distant horizon. Daja sighs and slumps against a post in the fence. She crosses her arms and closes her eyes. Kurama looks undecided with his next course of action, so I pursue my own by saying, "was that your pet?"

"No. My first ally in a long time that noble mount was," Daja replies not even opening her eyes to show respect to us. The disrespect of that is beginning to annoy me.

Does she not know who I am?

I am the Forbidden Child of the Demon World, I am Hiei...

Does she know this and choose not to acknowledge it...

She is puzzling... She sparks a curiosity in me, an interest that worries me...

Kurama clears his throat, an annoying human habit he had picked up in the 18 years he spent growing up on that wretched planet earth. Daja answers him without even letting him say his question. "The black cloth you saw is unimportant. I advise you to not ask me any questions under the Penalty of Dice. May you live until your dying day never knowing what the specifics of that punishment is." She turns around and shoves her hands deep into her pockets. Daja starts to walk away in a brisk manner or style leaving us behind so she can sit under the dying fruit tree a few feet away.

She curls herself up into a ball with her back against the trunk. She rests her head on her cupped palms and watches her feet as if they are the most interesting things in the cosmos. She reaches in her pocket and pulls out a gold coin, which she promptly casts across the grass. But, it wasn't a gold coin, more like a gold charm. I watch as Kurama goes to examine it. Daja glances at him as he picks it up and turns it over in his hands a few times. "Daja, this is a challenge coin of a high ranking battle lord."

She replies by saying, "So, what's it to you human filth?"

"How did you come across it," he asks in a nicer approach.

"I won it along time ago, when I was a naïve little girl who thought there was good in everything and you just had to look for it. How wrong I was for strength is the only thing you can rely on besides your own self. I will be as frank as I can with you Kurama, I don't like my past. Bring my past up again and rest assured you will meet with a tragic accident." She stands up and flexes her hands and spreads her palms face up to show the means of which Kurama will meet our reaper friend Botan in a most unlikely way.

In her palm lays two normal looking dice except for two things. The dots on each façade of the cube are inlaid with a differently colored gem for each surface. The second thing is that the corners are edged in steal, forming sharp corners of which wounds could be made with easily with. "These are my dice. You never want to play with them because they are deadly to all those whose luck is abysmal," Daja says warningly. She replaces the dice in her pocket and says slowly, "I think I will return to my punishment for the reason that you both are not worth my time anymore."

She looks at both of us with blank eyes and she dashes off towards the castle and I see her jump from treetop to treetop all along the way. She stops on the one a few branches ahead of me as she realizes Kurama and I are still following her around. She jumps to the ground and sits with her back up against another tree. She plays with her dice on the ground in front of her and says, "you wanna play?"

_**Daja:**_

It has been such a long time since I asked anybody that simple question. So long in fact, I don't think I like bringing up such a game from my past. But the more I think about my dice, the more I come to find out how important they were in my self-upbringing. Maybe it was the way they always seemed to roll in my favor or the way the sharp steel edges could slice through any substance when required to do such. Before I know it, a memory long forgotten plays before my eyes submersing me into a past that is so dreadfully surreal that I have to remember that it really did occur in my time.

_-flashback-_

_The dice must land on six for me to even have a chance of winning any of my stolen treasure back from my liege lord. He is always so frightfully corrupt with greed stealing all my plunder upon his word that I owe him for everything I am in my entire being. Today his luck must change in my favor for the dice will only aid their owner and never the opponent of said possessor. I remember coming across these dice in my childhood. Their lovely ivory faces inlaid with precious gems I have collected just for that specific purpose. The steel plates I painstakingly cut to fit for the corners are sharper than perhaps my sword it self, but if I had my sword I wouldn't have to use my dice to regain my treasures. _

_The dice tumble and stop with the sides showing five and one face up to the world proclaiming the wonderful number six. I take this chance and pick up my dice to roll for my final turn, and instead of throwing the cubes in question towards the ground, I aim to kill.... _

Shuddering I shake off this memory of death and soon another strange memory is being played in front of me of my past...

_-flashback-_

_"Daja what do you think about Damien? Is he a good enough addition to the team?" I contemplate this notion for a moment, then reply, "he certainly has potential." "See! I told you that I was right! Am I good, or am I good?" I balance in a different position on top of the five story high pole, and reply, "sometimes I wonder, Willow. What makes you so cheerful? Our life has no purpose, no happiness, no love, or anything but death and destruction plus the side act of stealthy stealing. I honestly don't feel the cut of an enemy blade any more, or the prick of my dice," I shift positions and stare up at the moon while doing a one handed handstand. "I guess it is just being able to live out my life in my home realm. You know that I was sold as a slave when I was young. When you spared me I vowed to life as a free woman, a happy free woman. I haven't failed yet. And what about you Daja? What makes you so sad?" I lose my balance at this age-old question from the beginning of my time and tumble towards the ground. I just keep falling and falling into a great endless expanse that continues like a black hole.... _

I stare at my hands when I regain my vision only to have my clarity stolen away again by another memory...

_-flashback-_

_Grrr... there are so many of them...too many of them.... at least for just me to handle easily with out breaking a sweat. God I wish I hadn't of left the ship to search for Damien. Me and my stupid impulses. Damien is a big boy; he can take care of himself, so why did I feel the need to find him.... I whip out my favorite weapon in situations like this, my old friends, my dice. Upon throwing them at the ground, their gems send out a brilliant infusion of light and I take my cue... I slaughtered them all, but why? When did I become such a heartless unfeeling creature? Did I learn nothing from Willow, or from the invincible duo of Evander and Archimedes? Or...or.... from Damien himself? I am such a cold-hearted creature; I don't deserve to be alive. After all, my own mother didn't want me as a daughter, let alone did my father or my race... I suppose the world would be a better place with out such scum like myself...the cold, it chills to the bone...the snow falls gently from above, like a dusting of small feathers from the heavens. But as soon as I begin to think about allowing my self to enjoy the snow, I am ambushed again. Again, my cold heartless side takes over and I enjoy seeing my enemies fall... fall over the edge of the cliff... over into the dark foamy water... swirling around, mixing the fresh and salt water with their bile and blood. I feel for once whole and complete, instead of torn and in pieces. I see Damien's face in front of my eyes and I shrug it off. He doesn't matter now that I have this... I feel like I have power, a power where I can control the fate of someone's life. It feels good..."_

I feel something empty inside once more. The numbness filling my body spreads to my soul, allowing me to once again become the unattached murderer I once was. I can feel my eyes change color and my hands tighten their hold on my dice. The sharp edges cut into my hands, creating wounds that run deeper then I have ever gained before. I release my grip to let the dice fall to the ground. The blood flows over my unclenched fist and I smile. The warmness of the red liquid feels nice on my skin. It feels like it should be on my hands...it feels right. I gaze down at the forest floor and notice my dice are covered in my own blood as well. I look at Kurama and smile again. He looks taken aback and surprised. I rub the tips of my other hand's clean fingers in my blood and drag them over my cheek, forming a pattern of wavy lines. I am now in mourning officially for my past life. I tear off my coat and smear my hands on my pants. I am a mess of blood, covered lightly with my own juices and feeling as high as a cloud overhead. I am about to pick up my dice and run them up and down my arms, but I feel a hand restrain me and I look at Kurama's face. He looks sickened and I feel good about causing this sense of disgust with in him.

All of a sudden I feel a slight push and pull action and I feel myself falling towards the terrain. Unfortunately instead of landing on the arid ground, I fall into a small pond. I continue to descend until I hit the bottom. I rest here on the pond's mucky floor before deciding to come back up to the surface for air. I swim up for what seems to be forever and I break the surface eventually. I climb up over the edge onto a rock panting and most likely resembling a wet cat of the Human Realm.

"You are ill." Kurama begins to dry me off with his shirt. I look at his chest and wonder what it would be like to stab. I push him away before I get the guts to go through with such an idea, I could be sentenced to death if I killed him. But, is life really that important anymore?

"What do you care? You are nothing but a stupid human. You know not of what I suffer from," I growl at him reopening the wounds on my almost healed hand. Again blood flows from the wounds allowing me to return to myself. Myself? No, I am not myself, am I?

Kurama slaps me across the cheek, and I don't feel the sting that should accompany such a harsh blow. Instead I wait with my head turned, waiting for him to slap me across the other cheek. I am just testing him now, he can sense this much. He knows that I want to see him slap me again. Instead he grasps my hand and begins to heal it once again. I pull it away and look at him. I can feel my eyes flicker back to the kinder version of my self, my old self. I regain my poise and my harshness while saying, "you shouldn't do that."

He looks at me and frowns. "Why?"

I think about my answer, mapping it out in my head before I say it out loud. I know that I can't be anything else then what I am and he wouldn't understand what is like to go on each day without feeling the touch of another and recognizing grass' familiar feeling on your legs as you run, or the soft breeze blowing gently on your face. "If you knew you still wouldn't understand." I cradle my hand in my opposite arm and gently reopen the wound again, letting the urge to kill drain out of me. Kurama picks up my hand once again to heal it. A smaller hand grabs his wrist and pulls it back. Hiei's hand. Why? Do you know what plagues me? Do you know what I am? Do you understand? I shake off my questions as I realize I am staring at him with my original blue eyes, no longer the green of my murdering self. I look away and let my face gaze down at the pool of blood on the ground. My blood... That should be enough to stem that desire. I look at my scarf and pull it off. I wrap it around my wrist watching it get covered in blood. The beaded decoration strings look out of place on my bandage so I rip them off, but I leave the trim because it took a long time to sew that on and I couldn't just tear off such a time consuming work.

"Hn" I mumble as I realize how much blood I have lost tonight. Enough to make me go pale, that's how much blood I have lost. I try to jumpstart the regeneration of that liquid by offering some of my life energy to my heart to let it beat faster. I open my eyes again to look about me and I see Kurama's face nearly five inches away from my own, examining me. I guess I looked menacing because he backed up and muttered he was sorry. I shrug it off; apologies are never heart felt really. I get up and look at my self, still a mess of water and muck so I look behind me at the reflecting pool. And before I know what I am doing, I jump into the pool once again, but I know the stains I want to wash off will never disappear. I am stained with countless deaths. I sit on the bottom for a long time just sitting, reflecting on everything. It's so quiet down here on the pond's floor. Nothing can disturb me down here. But I guess I was wrong to think this because a pair of strong gentle hands pulls me up to the surface. I sputter and cough up water while someone yells at me.

"What in all the hells did you think you were doing?" Koenma bellows at me standing next to Botan looking at me soaking with pond water and sitting on the ground. Kurama stands next to me soaked as well. So he was the one who jumped in after me. His loss of dryness is his own fault I would have come back up eventually...I suppose... I choke and cough up a little water clearing my lungs. It is a burning hot liquid in my throat, making me cringe and writhe with every breath I take and I know that it is my fault. I jumped into the water knowing the consequences. I wipe my mouth off and grimace. Stupid, I mumble as I feel a slight twinge radiate from the cut. I forgot about my hand. I can take it however. Botan looks surprised at me. I turn away from her and gaze at Hiei. He looks as dry as a cracker and content with his place in things, he does understand... I suppose...

Satori-sama: Did you like it? Please Review!!!


	3. Part I Chapter 3: Training

Satori-sama: Hi yall!! I hope you guys like this chapter, a little different from the first two. Tell me what you think, Im open to all comments!!!

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**_Chapter 3—Training_**

The days have passed quickly since the trial of Daja and the unexpected change in the balance of power within her. Against her deepest wishes, she suppresses the feeling half of her and retains her murderous side only to find that it is no longer the powerful unfeeling soul that it once was. Moreover, she feels that the caring side will only weaken her further although it sometimes shows itself in most expected times and ways against the other side's will and visa-versa.

Upon the 3rd day of her sentence, she was sentenced again to training under a harsh and uncooperative fighting instructor. This instructor was none other than Hiei. Koenma choose him for this job because he is roughly the same size and shape as Daja, and definitely of the same power, speed, and agility. Hiei, however, was not at all impressed with this method of choosing an instructor, but he took on this burden it because what was he supposed to do? Deny Koenma the right to tell him what to do? Anyway, Koenma wasn't about to change his mind and Daja could not possibly be up to Koenma's standards already. So Hiei accepted Daja as his student as he should.

**_Hiei:_**

Where is she? She said she would be here. I gaze at the rising sun. I said at dawn. Oh well. I don't want to have to wait for her again. This arriving late business is beginning to take its toll on my already thin patience, yet another reason why Kurama should have been Daja's instructor.

I decide to whip out my katana and begin to train with out her. I thrust and slash with everything I have, pushing my speed and power to its limits. Suddenly, a flash of blue streaks in front of me stopping my sword half way through its powerful thrust. Grrr. I should have sensed her coming. She grins and pushes me off balance, grazing my arms with her practice sword as a means to show me she could kill me if she wanted to.

"Hiei, you have to keep your defenses up, you hypocrite." Daja looks at my sprawled figure and laughs, but not for long. I take a leaf out of her book and trip her up, sending her down on the grass in front of me to land on her butt. She sits looking like she normally does. She looks at me and mutters obscene language under her breath, wiping the grass from her clothes and rows of braided hair and never once repeating the same combination of words. That is one of her special talents I discovered while training her. She can go a whole two days with out ever repeating herself. Ever.

"You're late," I say accusingly getting up to stand over her menacingly. "Where were you?'

"Hn. I didn't know this was such a big issue to you," Daja replies sounding really annoyed. "If hadn't of overlooked me, you would have realized I was sleeping in a tree not too far from here."

What? How could I have missed that? I frown in disgust, and Daja gets up and stands about 3 yards to my south. The farther the better, although.... I shudder and suppress every thought of her in my head except the ones about her training. She is coming along nicely, learning faster than I thought she would. I mull over these thoughts and come to a conclusion about her.

"I'll be back. My stomach is talking to me again," she turns around and walks off towards the tree line seemingly fighting something inside her head. I watch her while picking up my sword again. She disappears up into a tree and for a moment the leaves rattle and shake. After a moment a bag drops down to the ground and its owner follows suit except landing on her feet instead of her backside. Picking up the bag and walking through the waist high grass back towards me. She goes through her bag, looking for something. After a moment she is back to where I stand waiting for her so we can continue our training. But we never get that far.

"Hn." I comment as Daja throws a hunk of bread at me. She herself bites into a piece of fruit. I must admit the bread would be a welcome source of sustenance, but I cannot accept it from her. She eyes me suspiciously as she collapses a few feet away just looking at me. Her eyes get cloudy and distant as she bites into her food again. I look at the bread in my hands and study it.

I can tell it was baked in the Demon World by the coarseness of the grain and the fact that it is just an uneven hunk and not round like the ones in the Human Realm.

"Aren't you hungry? And if you are too proud to accept it from me, than it is your loss. It is really good bread. I bought it in the Demon world a few days ago, so it shouldn't be stale yet," Daja says to me. I look at her and she averts her gaze up to the rising sun. Her head tilts to the side and she bites into the fruit again, eating it slowly probably because she wants time to digest her meal before we have to train. I feel my stomach grumble and I look at the bread in all its baked glory. She gave it to me. I might as well eat it to please my stomach. She looks amazed as I tear into the bread and begin to eat it. Her eyes glaze over again and she looks at the ground realizing that she was staring.

She finishes her fruit and throws the core away. She reclines in the tall grass so I can't see her any more. I don't like it when I can't see people. It lets them have a slight advantage over me. I know, however, that she won't attack me today. She doesn't seem like she wants to do anything but lie down and rest. How pathetic. But after a moment of thinking about it, I realize how tired I am as well as how hungry so I finish my ration of food considering my next course of action. Then I see Daja's head poke up over the top of the grass scanning the tree line for something. She shrugs and disappears again. I finish my bread just in time to see her come closer to me. She looks thoughtful as she gazes at me making me feel very uncomfortable. She collapses in front of me into a sitting position. I raise an eyebrow at her and she shrugs. I get it now. She is waiting for me to order her to do something or train with her.

"What do you want," I yell at her irritably.

"Why the hell are you yelling at me for!" she yells back smirking at me. I get it. She is just pushing my limits, seeing how far she can tread on me before I get angry and do something like chop her into pieces.

"Shut it!" I yell at her

"Shove it, Hiei! I am not going to do anything you say!" She yells back at me, apparently trying to test out the capacity of her lungs now as well as my temper.

"You will do as I say!" I shout at her as I stand up over her making myself look taller than I actually am.

"Syngo AllaHYh mAku! AtILLa Mora Tunsoo kayo Hiei tanikuo!" She shouts at me her eyes changing colors and her arm's muscles twitching uncontrollably.

"Junto Kiljalo mya AtILLa Mora Tunsoo kayo Daja yukikouiakun!" I shout at her. After a moment I realize that the dialogue that just passed between us was in a language not of the human realm. "How do you know that language," I ask her searching her for answers I need to find.

"Do you honestly think I spent my whole life with fingers in my ears. No you foolish demonic man, I needed to be able to speak with any one in the Demon world so I could con him into giving me anything I wanted. I am not as simple as you think I am, I know more about you than you most likely know about me," she looks at me and gasps for her breath, trying to refill her lungs as fast as she can. Her form trembles with the lack of air and I cant help but wonder what about me she knows. I give in to temptation and pounce on her knocking her back ward onto the ground, my hands wrapped around her neck cutting off the air supply to her lungs.

"Hiei... Uh," she gasps striving with all her energy to put air into her deflated lungs, "Aaah... Let.... me go...uh" she stops struggling more than she had previously done. I watch as her eyes stare up at mine filled with fear of dying. I loosen my grasp on her throat and watch as her eyes slowly come back into focus. I am still crouched over her as she blinks and gently tries to move away from me. I trap her under me and say, "Get away from me and you are done for today." She looks up at me looking sick and tired. I feel her hands grab my shoulder and pull my body close to hers, and then I feel her let me go with a slight push to my chest. I feel strange...she felt so close, so nice, so welcoming...then, she felt cold, icy almost, and she pushed me away, but why? I sit back on my heels and let her remove herself from under me. She crawls away then stands up to brush off all the dirt from her clothes. She looks at me with blue eyes, not the normal neon green color I have grown accustomed to seeing. Then after a second they turn to the green but they are tinged with sapphire streaks. She tilts her head to the left looking at me with confusion in her eyes. She seems to shake off all doubt she has as she shakes her head.

"I shouldn't have done that. I forgot who you were and who I am now," she sits down on the ground to the left of me and begins to clean her sword once again. She closes out the rest of the world as the focuses on the blade and the hilt making sure all the dirt is wiped away all grooves. From time to time, she looks up at the sky, just looking up at the cloudy atmosphere above. Then she sighs and returns to her work, rubbing the sword to shine it to perfection.

"Would you like me to shine your sword," she quietly asks me sounding a little depressed. I throw my sword at her turned back, willing it to stab her through the heart and in turn getting rid of the tormenting problem known as Daja, but she catches it easily in her hand by reaching over her shoulder without thinking, muttering "I won't be killed to easily" under her breath. She unsheathes my katana and runs a hand down the edge feeling the sharpness of it graze her skin. Sighing, she runs a finger over all the intricate designs and patterns of dragons and flames etched into the steel blade.

"You know, I remember when I was not as heartless as I am today. It was a long time ago..."she says looking at me with green eyes making a transition into dull navy ones. Koenma and Kurama had long figured out that the green shade meant the murdering thief aspect of her and the blue was a different aspect of her from long ago, and had informed me that if her eyes ever turn a neon shade of green I should be on my toes. Well, it doesn't help that her eyes always green or that she is always changing personalities the way youko foxes can change lovers. I don't care if she is schizophrenic or whatever they called her, she is who she is and many personalities I guess is just part of who she is. Plus she is really strong, that more than makes up for her not so nice attitudes. She would make quite an ally...

"Hn" I remark as I watch Daja finger the designs on my katana with affection. She takes up a rag in her hand and dips it into a small can of cleaner that she used on her own blade before continuing.

"I was young when I was forsaken. I never knew my mother or my family, I was told I had a large one which included my whole people even if we were not directly related or related at all," she pauses for a second only to dip her rag back into the cleaner so she can continue to rub my sword, "I was different from them, furthermore I think that they were afraid of change, afraid of me and what I could do to them if I felt threatened by their way of life. I was left to defend for myself all alone in a distant moor far away from my homeland. My instincts told me that there was good in everything, but it seems like my instincts were wrong." Here, Daja bends over to run a finger over the blade, checking for spots she may have missed the first time she ran the cloth over it. "I learned how to trust only my cleverness and my muscles. Only strength is worth becoming allies for. The greatness of what is," she again pauses to re-dip her rag in the cleanser again, "good is vastly over rated. I do not know any more what I am along the lines of good or evil. The lines of soul taker and soul saver with in me are blurry at times. You and the others have probably noticed that by now... I..." she bends over my sword biting her tongue while working the polish into every groove making sure all substances are removed from the divots and ridges in the leather hilt. I watch her hands work for a while thinking over everything she just told me. "I don't know why I exist anymore, the world would be a lot better without me to dirty it up," she adds as an afterthought. She looks at me and I have to turn away.

God damn it, she brings back all the emotions I have hidden beneath a shield of ice over my heart for years. Not even Kurama had ever been able to crack my defenses to see what was underneath my calm and contempt expressions. It is so new, to have someone trust me so much to confide in me something he probably never told anyone else before. But whether I like this new type of bonding is a question that will have to remain unanswered for now. I ask her a question by saying, "why are you telling me this?"

She jumps slightly at my voice; I think she forgot I was sitting here with her still. She looks at me her eyes still the dreary cobalt color filled with sadness.

"I guess... I guess.... maybe I...." she looks back at the katana, looking at it is all its glory and putting her hopes into the bright sheen on its blade. "You are my master now, I guess it just felt right to tell you about my past, why I am the way I am so you can decide whether you feel as if I deserve to be trained by you or something like that. I dunno..." she averts her eyes to the ground as she stands up my sword now in her hand sheathed and ready for me to use it once again.

I grab it and just run the other way. I need to sort out my jumbled thoughts. I thought Daja was just a strange kid in general not because of what happened to her. Her past...it is so much like mine... was she abandoned because she was not what was expected or because of what she was or maybe both... as I gaze back at the clearing from the top of a tree I see Daja trying to do something in the middle of the grass.

Her body disappears and reappears leaving and afterimage behind her to show where she had been. She looks depressed as she looks behind her at her reflection. After about an hour of watching her test her speed, I observe as she shifts gears and begins to throw punches at invisible opponents. Her demeanor changes for the better, I suppose, and her movements become strong and powerful. I almost want to go spar off with her because she would be a worthy opponent, but I decide against it because she might wonder if I have been watching her this whole time. Her body follows a specific pattern. Punch, Punch, Kick, Dodge, Dodge, Kick, Kick, Dodge, Punch, Dodge, Punch, and so on repetitively.

I watch some more as she changes gears yet once again, this time using a sword instead of just her bare hands and body. Her swordsmanship is very advanced. She is able to trust forward leading into a side slash and end up in a ready defending position with out even losing her original stance of guard. Her style is different from anyone else's I have seen in my whole lifetime. She seems to imagine flocks of opponents instead of just one single one and every once in awhile she reaches into her pocket to whip out her dice to through at an opponent or two. She integrates every attack or weapon she has into one full-fledged effort to slaughter her imaginary adversaries. It is like Daja is on some type of killing spree and has no remorse for what she is unconsciously doing to her invisible challengers. It is almost like a sorcerer's enchanting dance, weaving in and out of opponents mindlessly, killing the imaginary foes with single strokes.

I wonder if that was all her life was like, one endless uphill battle of theft, death, and destruction to find her place in the world only to have it crashing down around her when she finally got her life put back together the best she could. I kind of feel a little sorry for her.... kind of....

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satori-sama: i've finally figured out ow to put a divided in the text. I promise the next part to be up soon, goodbye part one, hello part two!!! 


	4. Part II Chapter 4: Assignment Number 1

Satori-sama: Hm, not much of a beginning thought for this chapter. Go on, read. It wont bite you, at least, I think it wont bite you. Reviewing wont hurt you either. (pets her pet dragons Nazo and Mokushi). Nazo and Mokushi on the other hand... Just kidding, they wouldnt hurt a makai insect. Anyway, Hope you like this chapter!!!

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_**Chapter 4: Assignment Number 1**_

**_Yusuke:_**

"Kuwabara, what the hell?" I yell as Kuwabara whips out his sword and tries to cut me in half. Well, he misses.

"Nice, maybe next time you can hit the big head," said Hiei half laughing, half deadly serious.

"You think you can do better, shortie? GO ahead," yells Kuwabara in his frustration—not with me, but with the rather short man who has been making pokes, all in good fun I am sure, at Kuwabara all morning.

"My Pleasure," he replies, pulling out his katana.

"No that's OK!! Really! Don't even try it, don't make me use my spirit gun!" I shout at the man clothed in black. The steel blade is stops inches from my face as the door opens and Kurama walks in.

"Hmm, I leave for one minute," he mumbles as he sets the groceries down on the table. "SO, this is what happens when I am not here," Kurama teases. I sigh. All I wanted to do was play Donkey Kong, and the whole household ends up trying to kill me.

"Hey, Kuwabara," says the female voice coming from the window, "You do know that you get more power in your blow when you move your bottom hand down the hilt and hit with the middle of you sword right?" Daja asks, curiously as well as sarcastically. It is a strange talent of hers, to make every sentence a mocking and sarcastic one. We had all forgotten she was there apparently napping and blocking out our presence. "Oh and yes Kurama, the children have been very immature, do you want I should teach them a lesson?" I shudder and smile, willing a halo to appear around my head like it does in cartoons. I know she was joking, well, wasn't she? I try harder to get the halo around my head.

"Really?" asks Kuwabara, eager to learn anything to make him more powerful.

"Yep, try and hit me," Daja says returning her attention to Kuwabara instead of a smirking kitsune/human adolescent.

"What?"

"Just do it, and even if you hit me, I wont feel it," she says.

"Why!?!" Kuwabara shouts with a look that makes him look like a complete jackass.

"Coward!" she cries. Her eyes narrow and her power is increasing. Kuwabara tries to strike her down and misses by at least a meter or two. "Stop kidding around and hit me!" she taunts. He tries to hit Daja again, missing by quite a lot. "Come on, weakling hit me!" Her technique is a lot like master Genkai's, gods rest her soul. She gets him angry and Kuwabara's power amplifies as his rage continues to increase. "I guess you're not as powerful as Koenma made you out to be." Kuwabara's power grows larger and he strikes. He would have sliced Daja in half if she hadn't of ducked.

"I admit defeat. I want to die, just not yet," says Daja, wheezing.

"All Right!!'" says Kuwabara quite victoriously while punching the air.

"You've got the power, just you got to use your head," she says, still trying to catch her breath. "Why are you being so kind?" I ask her, this is the nicest she's been thus far.

"Don't get used to it," Daja says. "I just don't like to see power wasted needlessly." I guess it was to good to be true. She returns to her post on the windowsill, reclines, and seems to fall asleep.

"So, Where is Botan?" asks Kurama, as he sits down on the couch next to Hiei.

"She's not here yet, stupid fox," says Hiei.

"I knew that, Hiei," he replies plainly.

I settle on the floor next to Kuwabara and begin to play Super Smash Bros. Melee as my personal favorite character of all time from Nintendo's long line of fantastic video games, Mario.

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**_Kuwabara:_** I didn't know that Daja was so smart.

"Hey does anybody else want to play with us?" asks Yusuke who is beginning to get annoyed with his current opponent, me. Kurama joins us on the ground.

"Finally some first-class competition!!" cries Yusuke gleefully as Kurama picks up a controller and dives in for the next round as the mysterious character Sheik from the Legend of Zelda series.

"Do you want to play with us, Daja?" I ask, trying to be nice to the girl version of the shortie Hiei because she helped me.

"I would not poison myself with such Human foolery," She replies, not even opening her eyes to acknowledge my spoken words. "And if you were wise, you would best put away the game and train because the gods know you need it."

"Well, fine. Be that way. You just don't want to lose, that's why!" I shout at her, returning to the game. I am on my 3rd to last life and Yusuke and Kurama are amused as my sudden video game ineptness.

"No, that is where you are wrong. I would rather be training than sitting in here enjoying your, ahem, noble entertainment. And I do not have time for such trivial ideas," Daja replies, as she gets up and goes to the door, opens it, and there stands an exhausted Botan about to knock on the door. "Can I leave yet?" she asks Botan. "The meeting hasn't even started yet," Botan replies. I didn't sense Botan coming and I am the psychic in residence. How did the stupid girl?

* * *

**_Hiei:_**

Why I even need to be here is beyond me. I could be somewhere else, enjoying myself as much as I would allow my self to. The Idiot and Yusuke are playing their game square or whatever they call the retarded Ningen machine. When challenged to slice Yusuke in half, the vision it presents me with almost makes me smile. Then Kurama had to come and spoil my fun, again. I sit down on the couch, maddened by Kurama's latest peacekeeping venture.

"Hey, Kuwabara," says the female voice coming from the window sill, "You do know that you get more power in your blow when you move your bottom hand down the hilt and hit with the middle of you sword right?" I know Daja can wield a sword because I remember all the cuts she gave me when I was training her. I study her as she and Kuwabara spar off. More like Daja taunts and Kuwabara tries. That is my kind of training, although I know I will never ever train the idiot Kuwabara because he is most unworthy of my help.

The green-eyed girl clothed in a pale blue and purple and with braids upon braids woven into her hair returns to the windowsill, my usual residence at these meetings. I wasn't listening to their conversation, and then I heard, "No, that is where you are wrong. I would rather be training than sitting in here enjoying your, ahem, noble entertainment. I do not have time for such trivial ideals." She is very determined. I respect her for that quality even though she does have it in a bothersome overabundance that gets in my way more often than never. Botan is here now, jabbering on about some weird vegetable or such foolery; I suppose I should listen to this or else she might kick my ass if I don't. I silently chuckle at this because I doubt that even the great Yusuke could whip me anywhere. Daja probably could though... I mentally shudder at the possibilities....

**_

* * *

_****_Botan:_**

"The meeting hasn't even started yet," I reply to an exasperated looking human girl as I walk in the door.

"Come on Botan! Did you at least get me the...." Daja asks me.

"Of course." I reply as I hand her a sack.

"Yes!" She replies as she jumps and punches the air. We all look at her. She looks embarrassed as she sits on the floor and promptly opens the long package, looking like a child at Christmas time. She draws out a long sword in a leather sheath. She stands up and unsheathes it. Even I, an unskilled fighter, can tell the weapon is extremely rare and powerful. Everyone's mouths drop, even Hiei's. The sword it self is a platinum type metal, except the metal seems very hard. Its blade is long and curving with a dragon skin hilt. There is some type of demon script etched into it in a gold colored metal. Daja looks extremely pleased. And then she notices something, and her face falls.

"Did you or Koenma place the order, Botan," she asks, the disappointment showing unrestrained in her voice.

"Koenma did. Is there something wrong with it, it looks exquisite."

Daja replies, "It is the most impressive piece of workmanship I have ever encountered in my many years. But, Koenma had me all figured out. He ordered a dead blade sword." She looked at the sword again. "It is perfectly balanced, it was made by a master smith. And I should be happy for myself; it is the kind of weapon I've always wanted to own. But, Koenma, he must of thought it best if I have the blade be dead. I accept his judgment, for he is many centuries older than I." Daja is about to put the sword away, and suddenly, Hiei recovers from his reverie.

"Can I see that?" he asks gazing at the sword with a look of desire in his eyes.

"Sure," Daja replies shrugging lightly as if his request was no big deal to her. As the fighters crowd around the sword I notice Daja look at her hands. She is shamed to own such a weapon, I note_. She is a mercenary at heart, she will never change_, says the little voice of reasoning in my head. _She cannot be trusted with a regular, sharpened sword_. The voice in my heart replies, _look at the rest of them; they are not the boys we first started with. Surely, Daja will be the same. _

I pop the videotape into the tape player, and Koenma's face comes up on the screen. The drooling over the sword stops for a short time as Koenma explains our next job, which will begin as soon as we are all ready. Daja reclaims her new treasure and puts it in her belt.

"I guess we are off to the Makai," I say as I take out the tape and pack my bag again.

"If we are going to the Demon World, I need to change," said Daja looking at herself clad in Human clothes. She grabs her own bag and walks into the bedroom and locks the door.

**_

* * *

Daja:_**

As I strip off the Ningen finery, I begin to weep. My salty tears are gathering on the floor. I quickly run to the bathroom and turn on the tap full blast to drown out my sobs. The moment I saw the blade, I knew I had to prove I could be trusted. My word wasn't enough. I wasn't enough. My whole life has amounted to nothing.

I open my bag and fish for some clothes. I choose black instead of blood red or blue and green. It seems to fit my desolate mood a tad bit better than the rest of the outfits. The tear trails on my cheeks are still wet as I look in the mirror. The black sets off my fair skin nicely, I observe inpartially. But the blue frock would have shown my petite figure better, I argue back to my reflection in the mirror that stands holding the blue and green frock up to her small body. Too late now, I guess after I slip into the black vest like shirt and tight black shorts, showing that annoying reflection that black was the superior color all along.

I go into the bathroom and undo my plaited hair, making sure not to lose any of the sapphires I wove into the braids. It is wavy from being in braids for so long. I probe my bag again and pull out some hair streaker. My long brown locks are now mingling with an artificial blonde. It looks like the mythical King Midas ran his golden fingers through my somewhat curly mane. How I despise it so, but it is the price I pay for what I am, and for what I am not. I study my face and it looks how it always looks after a human cries. I splash cold water on my visage to try to rinse away the insane crimson color.

"Daja? What are you doing in there?" yells Yusuke, with annoyance.

"That was so rude, Urameshi! You should apologize," I hear Kuwabara shout back. I don't care what they think and I don't respond to either of them. I hear a respectful knock on the door,

"Daja, could you please finish it up in there. We really should be leaving," Kurama courteously asks. I contemplate answering the fox, but in the end decide not to. I dry off my face and re-apply my make up. I turn off the faucet and collect my things. I quickly gather the small marble shaped items that litter the room and put them in a small bag. I will sell them for whatever I can get for them. I quickly pull on one boot, then lace and buckle it. I repeat with the other. I grab my new sword and strap it to my waist. I stand up, look in the mirror, and run my fingers through my hair. This is as good as it is going to get for right now. I pick up my bag and walk to the door.

I don't understand why I am nervous about leaving the bedroom once again. There just humans. Well, except for Hiei and half of Kurama, plus Botan, but I don't care what she thinks. I reach out for the doorknob and my hand stops. I unlatch the door slowly and open it. I walk out and all the boys' eyes are on me. You knew that the boys' hormones would kick in sooner or later, I tell myself. I smirk a little and continue walking to the kitchen where I quickly stuff some food in my bag, just in case I have to...

"Daja... I, um..." says Yusuke with a smile on his face that looks as if his life long dream had just suddenly come true. Kuwabara just stares, mouth wide open. Kurama looks as if he is about to say something, and he does.

"Can I help you with anything?"

"No."

"Are you sure, Daja?"

"Quite positive actually. I can carry my own possessions," I reply, all this attention is making me uneasy. My glance turns to Hiei and he is not looking at me but out the window at the street. He seems to be thinking intensely about something. I can't tell what though.

"Are we ready to go?" asks Botan.

I nod at her and glide out the door. I cannot help but to smile. She looked jealous. Of me. I can't believe it. My day suddenly got a whole lot brighter. I ignore all the stares I get as I am walking down the street. All the catcalls and suggestive language from the human boys, I am blissfully unaware of it of it. I am finally leaving this realm of filth. I am going to the only place I have ever felt welcome. I am going to the demons' realm. I am going home.

**_

* * *

Kurama:_**

Gods, I bet Hiei is gonna be in a pissy mood at me for the rest of the day. Not that I could tell anyway...he never lets any emotion show on his face other then the scowl that should be patented to him because I think he invented it. You'd think that we were really mean to him all the time or something.... oh well.... if he would rather be mad at me, than he can be mad at me. It's his fricken problem now... I can't believe I just thought all that mean stuff about my best friend. I guess I just get fed up with him and his moods that I give up on trying to be nice to him after awhile.

As I hear the tap turn on in the bathroom, I know something in wrong because I think Daja hates most forms of water in the Human realm. I silently try to lock onto Daja's power, but I cannot find it at first. Then I do. The wavelength is strange, and, right now, it is out of control. It is going up and down uncontrollably. Then I decide to analyze the wavelength itself. It is not entirely human. Nor is it entirely Demon. Of all the fighters, it most resembles Hiei's own wavelength.

"Kurama. Did you buy bread when you went to the store?" What?

"Yes I did." I return back to the energy and it is stopped its disorderly feeling. Yusuke is annoyed.

"Daja! What are you doing in there?" He yells at the door with no avail. Silence is the response.

"That was so rude, Urameshi! You should apologize," Kuwabara shouts as he and Yusuke promptly engage in a fistfight. I sigh as I look at Hiei. I wish this were over already. He seems to share the same exasperation. Hiei closes his eyes and the middle of his forehead begins to glow. He is watching her. "She is almost done."

I walk up to the door and I knock. "Daja, could you please finish it up in there. We really should be leaving," I say.

A minute later, the tap turns off. There are some sounds coming from behind the door. The door opens, and I think even Botan's mouth joins ours as we see what Daja has become. The first thing I noticed was her hair. It was long. The ends reach to about the small of her back. It is wavy and full. She has blonde running freely through it. Her eye makeup is darker, her lips a deep red. Her outfit is black.

She is very cute and tempting.

Wait?

What am I thinking? I am wiser than this; my demon side must be getting the better of me this time. But the nevertheless, I continue to gaze at her as I would a priceless treasure. Her coat is leather and floor length. The sword, which is undoubtedly fastened at her waist, is hidden behind the cloak of darkness. She has a strange look on her face as I offer to help her carry something.

"No." I am devastated at this one word statement.

"Are you sure, Daja?" I ask again.

"Quite positive, actually I can carry my own possessions." I let it stop at that feeling like if I continue asking her she will resent me more than she already does. As we begin our journey to the portal, I can't help but feel cross at all the boys making passes at Daja. She doesn't deserve this.

* * *

Satorisama in that annoying echoing announcer like voice: Will Daja get what she deserves? Will Hiei have his heart of ice melted? Will Kuwabara ever beat Urameshi in SuperSmash Brothers? Tune in to the next chapter to find out!!! (voice returns to normal) wow that was weird. Hope you liked it, review and leave me nice tips on how to make the story better ! I am open to all sorts of suggestions. (whistles softly) Nazu, Mokushi... we've got to let this kind readers go... goodbye, my friends and you are my friends... 


	5. Part II Chapter 5: Memory

_satorisama: this chapter is sort of angsty, i guess. Maybe dramatic? Not sure of a genre. Please review!!!_

**_Chapter 5: Memory_**

* * *

**_Daja_**: I smile for the first time in about a week. As the wind thrashes my hair violently, I can't help but to say, "Ah, the phenomenal landscapes of the Makai hills always amazes me every time I return to the realm's simple rolling plains." I sigh and close my eyes, reliving every pleasant memory I can before I am awoken from my reverie, it doesn't take all that long. The hand resting on my shoulder is cold. I dislike coldness, it reminds me of my birth.

"What are you thinking about," asks Kurama.

"Ask no questions, curious one, and you will be told no lies." I do not want to share anymore with him, because I fear for my safety. He seems to know that I am not telling him everything. I suppose he is very curious, dumb kitsune curiosity. I shake out of grasp and begin to walk toward the city I sense in the distance.

"Daja, where are you going?" asks Yusuke.

"To the city, Yusuke." He must know it is there because he nods.

"You know, we have got to figure out how to find this guy you know."

"I figure that if we begin our journey now, we might get to the city before night fall." I reply. We walk and walk for hours upon hours, but we have to stop many times to stop a serious fight from breaking out between Hiei and Kuwabara. Needless to say, we do not arrive at the city by nightfall, and we make camp in a cave.

Kuwabara is going out to look for wood picking up every stick or log he sees no matter where it might be situated. Yusuke begins to fish in a small pond nearby by securing a worm to his large barbed fishing hook. Kurama unpacks some cooking utensils and generally starts to set up camp because he knows that if he doesn't do it, nobody else will. Hiei sits by the mouth of the cave waiting for some wood to be set up before him for his designated task is to start the fire on which Kurama will cook dinner on tonight.

I suppose that these are the jobs normally taken up by the rest of the team. I leap on top of a lone boulder many a feet away from the cave, sit down "Indian" style, and rest my chin in my hands that now are propped up on my bony knees. It's not that I feel left out or overlooked by the rest of the fighters and it's not like I want to be right there helping any of them either, but I feel depressed at my sudden inactivity and lack of certain purpose or job. I have never like the feeling of idleness or even the idea of idleness a great deal. Activity, or just plain movement, is more to my fancy. Idleness gives one to much time to think about the past, present, or future as well as friends and family. I rustle through my bag silently praying for something I can do whilst just sitting here, alone on this rock.

Upon the serendipitous occasion my hand brushing a long forgotten flute-like instrument, I am overtaken by the urge to play a prelude I learned when I was still a mere child. As the aria echoes through the leaves of the trees, I notice that they seem to be listening to my every note, straining to hear every last reverberation of sound. The plants nearest to the boulder have the spark of unrestrained growth in them. I cannot believe I remember that tune or that I still have this little hand carved instrument. I begin to play a requiem, trying to forget the painful memory that is flooding through my soul, invading me like a viral parasite taking over my body.

"_Daja, take this."_

_I do not know what to tell the dying boy in my arms. Blood pours over my limbs, and I cant help but to feel repulsed by the blood that normally gives me happiness when I see it on my hands._

"_It is your flute, Damien. I cannot except such a gift."_

"_Daja," his face scrunches up in pain as his hand clutches his side in desperation to keep the life giving liquid inside his rapidly emptying body._

_I readjust my grasp on him and a tear exits my eye rolling slowly down my cheek._

"_Don't cry, I cannot bear to see you in anguish," my tears are immediately put in check._

_He looks up at me and I look down at him in return._

_Our gaze seems to confirm every, last unanswered question._

_I lean closer and kiss his trembling lips._

_As I pull away, he smiles weakly and whispers one last thing into my ear, "I love you." His eyes glaze over as he gives me one last smile and squeezes my hand one last time._

_I pull him close. I continue to weep for a long period. I bury my face into Damien's chest ignoring the blood still slowing oozing out of his now soulless body. I cannot even begin estimate how many hours I have been sitting here nor how much the pain flooding through me is going to shape me into something I should not become once more. My tears only begin to wane when I to realize I have lost the only person I ever cared for my whole life since conception in my tramp of a mother. Without any more delay, I pick him up and set his body in his canoe. As I watch it go over the falls, a part of me is banished to a dark and desolate place deep in within my suffering soul. I doubt it will ever return from its lonely exile. _

I continue to play, the melody growing more ghastly and strange at every interlude. I cannot stop playing this song; something inside me is urging me on. The only things I have left are the melodies, but I buried Damien in my mind so long ago, wishing I could forget look in his eyes as he fell or the touch of his hands or.... I begin the song again, striving to hold in the tears that are welling up behind my eyes forcing their way to the surface. He would not want to see me in pain even after his death. I try to stop again, but I cannot let the flute escape from my lips. The song is reaching a crescendo of sound as I surge on with the tune. I am beginning to get scared. Why can I not stop playing?

The stone beneath me seems to give away like a bag of sand might and I begin to fall to the terrain below. I cry out fearing I will fall and hit the ground. I do not land on the ground. A pair of arms is supporting me. They set me down and I begin to rock back and forth on my knees. The memory, that godforsaken memory. It will not go back into the dark recesses of my psyche. I clutch my head in agony and scream feeling as if white-hot knives slash at my skin, driving the blades deep into my body. The pain surging through the veins in my body is unbearable even though I know that I should not be able to feel the pain.

A hand touches my temple and a small voice says, "It will be okay." I feel the world slip away from around me and the memory is no longer what I see when I close my eyes. The darkness is comforting. I am safe again, I murmur, unsure if I am conscious or dreaming this beautiful blackness to ease my own suffering. A reassuring hand holds my own as I drift off into a restless slumber filled with nightmares and dreams of what ifs.

* * *

**_Kurama_**: I feel so uneasy in the Demon Realm today...is it because I don't know as much as I would like know about Daja? Hmm... 

"Kurama, when you are done would you like to come and fish with me?" Yusuke shouts as he casts his line into the pond infront of him. I smile as he almost slips and falls into the water, regaining his balance just before he would have fallen off the rocky shore.

"Sure, Yusuke. Give me a little bit to get reacclimated to the realm."

"Ok Kurama. But if you don't get here soon, I think that Kuwabara might steel your fishing pole."

As I look up from my frying pan and my bedroll, I notice where Daja is. She is solitary sitting on a large rock nearby, her face resting in her hand and her expression blank, yet very expressive if that is possible. But everything is possible with her since I know nothing about her shadowy past. I wonder if Hiei knows anything about her. Afterall, Hiei is the one who trained her for the previous 6 months. Then again, it was against his will, perhaps he just wanted to get it over with so he asked no questions. I think that is his philosophy, 'fight first, ask the questions later'.

Daja is one of the people you want to know, but you don't want to meet them in a dark alley in a strange town. What she said earlier about not asking her any questions seemed final, as if she doesn't feel we ought to know the truth about her or that it us best that we do not know about her past. The more I think about that, the more I want to ask her about her past. I.....

I am interrupted in my thoughts by a...a...I think it is a flute playing its soft delicate music to the world. I must find the musician for I want to know what this enchanting tune is called. I look up from my work and my eyes instantly fall upon a girl sitting on a rock. It's Daja....she is playing a flute, her nimble fingles plugging the holes strategically to allow certain notes to befall around her while the wrong ones are passed up with no remorse. She sits with her back as straight as an iron pole. Her face is soft and smooth, looking as close to delacate and beautiful as she can be without being an angel from the eternal paradise or a nymph from the spirit world.

These I know she is not because the woman playing is none other than our own companion Daja. As she plays, I feel drawn towards her by a strange feeling of unrestrained growth and warmth. As I walk a little closer to the source of this feeling, I notice that the plant life around Daja and her rock seem to be strainging to hear her melodic sounds. The flora also seems to be getting larger with the spark of growth in them.

I stop walking towards Daja when the music stops alluring to me with its indescribable charm.

"Kurama...Kurama!!" Yusuke shouts at me irritably, "Can you hear me or do I actually have to get up and physically shake you to get your attention....Gah!!!"

"I can hear you, but didn't you just feel that?" I reply goodnaturedly trying to get Yusuke to simmer down while asking him a question as well.

"Feel what?" Kuwabara asks having just heard that part of the conversation for he just got back from collecting the firewood.

So neither of them felt the strange calling towards Daja when she was playing her instrument. I shake it off as a human lust for my adolescent body has been receiving a lot of late.

"You didn't feel anything just now as Daja was playing her whistle?" I ask again still unsure of my infered answer because I know that Yusuke and Kuwabara are not hard of hearing thought they often yell at each other like the other is deafer than deaf.

"Kurama, I think you are imagining things. I did not here any kind of whistling sound now or this morning. Futhermore, I..."

Yusuke stops his face suddenly unreadable. I hear it too and I think Kuwabara must because his face looks like it does when he senses something around him he cant see. Its another song coming from the direction of Daja's boulder. This is nothing like stunning song she had been playing before this strange tune.

The melody of it is harsh and dark, its notes twisting and turning around in the air, fighting each other till one gets dominance over the other. It's ghaslty and scary and the melody chills me to the bone.

I notice something about Daja. She is not the pixie lass I saw her to be before, but a strange demonesce quaility surrounds her now, enveloping her with such a feeling as hatred and painful remorse. Her body teeters to and fro, coming dangerously close to falling many a time before she finally does. She lets out a terrified shriek and I am called back into my normal healer self, going to see if she is okay and not in trouble, or worse... I shudder at the thoughts running through my head.

Hiei gets to her first, catching her body afore she ever reaches the ground which is nice because I am still quite in a dazed trance from both songs. She lies in front of him, rocking back and forth on her knees while at the same time clutching her head as you would if your head was splitting down the middle.

Daja screams again before I reach her and Hiei takes things into his own hands. He gathers her into his arms and stands up clutching her hands in his assuring her that her head in not falling apart. She quiets down immensely as he lets her hands down to rest on her curled legs. Hiei looks at Daja's now peaceful sleep filled expression with a strange look on his face. He looks understanding and pained by something in his mind he struggles with earnest.

Hiei watches helplessly as I take Daja's sleeping form out of his arms. He doesn't seem to mind all that much though for he doesn't growl at me or make a rude comment to make me feel bad about taking Daja away from him. I suppose he doesn't care all that much about her... then again, I did feel a surge of energy emit from him as he grasped Daja's hands to pull them off her forehead. I dunno... I will ask him about it later. Right know, I need to settle Daja down into the cave we now refer to as base camp. She doesn't move or struggle in her restless sleep. I wonder what she is dreaming about... I suppose she wont tell me though, or she will be telling me lies. I guess that is for the best however much I want to know. It is now time to get ready for dinner, my frying pan and I are late for a date with Yusuke's fish. I will have to figure this out later....

* * *

satorisama: Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed yourselves. Please review! thanks in advance. Where am I going, you ask? My lair... 


	6. Part II Chapter 6: Dreams & Advice

Satorisama: Hello again, dear reader!! I enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you like reading it. Daja's past with the mysterious character Damion come farther into the light.

* * *

**_Chapter 6: Dreams & Advice_**

**_Daja_**: I feel calm and peaceful in this darkness that surrounds me. The darkness comforts me for I was always working in the dark, and working was when I was the happiest. I wander around in this blackness for awhile just reliving my life one day at a time accepting all the joys and defeats that have come my way, until I get to him.

I sit on the ground just watching a memory of us, bickering, rough housing, and generally showing our unspoken fondness for each other. Captivated by this memory, I watch as it plays out in front of me. Damien and I continue to fight with each other, eventually ending up with us rolling on the floor, him with his hands in my hair yanking out clumps of my mane and me struggling to get free while laughing and punching him playfully. He pulls me close to him, enveloping me in his powerful arms and planting a kiss on my hand, obviously not his first choice but his only option since I began to struggle once again.

This memory gives way to another, less enjoyable one, but still of Damien and I. It's of one of our early jobs together, working as mercenaries for fat rich men in order to gain experience together in the teamwork department. I watch in silence as we glide swiftly over the plains, racing each other with me obviously at an advantage due to my heritage and the natural swiftness of that race. We pit our souls against each other and continue fecklessly across the moor. After a minute, Damien and I just stop in our tracks and look at each other. We burst out laughing as we realize that this could tear us apart as a team and we must put all trivialities behind us. Damien extends his hand towards me and I take it in my own. He looks surprised as we shake and I blush at my own assertiveness to our friendship. We pull our hands apart, and I must say that it was reluctantly on my part. We continue to walk in an embarrassed silence all the way to our boss' castle, which still lies at least three miles away. We really need to work on our people skills.

I slowly raise my self up back into a standing position and continue down a worm path leading somewhere else into the shadows that I have been to before. The farther I go this way, however, the lighter and colder it gets and the more I want to turn back and return to my own dark and happy place. As I turn around, I feel another's presence and I fear it is Hiei for his Jagan eye has the power to infiltrate minds. I don't want him to see my thoughts, my memories, my hopes, my dreams.... He knows too much about me already.

As I turn around, I find nobody is behind me but a chill runs down my spine and I become scared in my own thoughts. I am lost when I finally find my position in the timeline of my thoughts. I sink to the ground watching the scene in front of me. It is the last day of which Damien was alive... I shudder closing my eyes but I find the memory is there to....

It was a dark day when Damien and I parted for the first time in a year of our fierce friendship. I remember being gloomy that morning in finding that Damien had left the ship with out me, but I give him his space knowing that he just needed time alone to sort out our argument. No matter how hard I try, I simply cannot figure out what we had argued about that night before. I sit around all day looking out over the bay silently wishing that I had never grown attached to my un-proclaimed lover and that I had never let myself get attached to anything... I wish... I smile as I realize how much I wish for even though I know that wishing is for fools. So is love, so I guess I am a fool anyway, why stop now and not go all the way.

As the sun begins to set on a day of waiting for Damien to return, I grow more and more impatient with my friend as he continues to avoid the ship. I cannot help the upside down feeling my stomach has, the gut feeling I get when something has gone terribly wrong. I sit up top on the top of the highest mast as I wait anxiously for Damien to return. After about an hour, I decide that something has gone terribly wrong out there off the boat, out there on land.

Land... it has been such a long time since I have treaded on firm ground, such a long time... It was nearly 8 months ago that Damien and I were taken aboard as lowly deck hands, and now look at us, head of strategic navel command upon the ship _Sunfire_. I can hardly remember the taste of fresh fruit of the feel of grass upon my bare legs or the summer showers that used to come and go so unexpectedly. I can hardly remember what living with dry possessions is like, not having to constantly be aware of where everything and how everything fits or stores into the spaces or cubby holes below deck.

I had been afraid to go ashore earlier, when we first pulled into port here in the small bay no matter how much it called me to return to the plains. I had grown accustomed to the free way of life on a boat, and going back to the suffering land life seemed intimidating. I shake off all my fears as I slide my sheathed sword into my belt and layer my short military coat with all the medals and chevrons on top if my brightly colored tunic and shorts. I tie my hair back into a low ponytail and wipe all traces of runny eyeliner off my face as I toss a bag filled with small marble sized items overboard to rest at the bottom of Davie Jones's locker.

I slip unnoticed off the ship by sliding down one of the ropes that are tied onto the dock. But by the time I had found Damien, it was too late... I watch in horror as he is stabbed through the chest and his assassin laughs at his newest accomplishment. Rage builds up in my soul, behind my eyes, and in my body blinding me from all sense of reason and logicality. I let out an angry war cry as I run blindly towards my lover's slayer and throw my dice towards his turned back. He looks surprised as they hit his body dead on with his spine paralyzing him from the waist down. I pick my dice out of his bloody back and roll him over. Whispering close to the murderer's ear, I say to him, "burn in hell forever you piece of shit... you know not what you have done to me..."

I slash his neck watching as the blood squirts out of him on the ground at my feet. He's eyes stare up at me with the expression that corpses wear, that blank and confused one. A coughing sound behind me reawakens my soft side, sending me to Damien's body to inspect the damage to his chest. I feel into the bleeding wound with my hands and find that the blade had not missed the heart being that it nicked his artery and being the incapable healer I was, I cried out at trying to send my life energy into him, saving him from his certain impending death. I try to pick him up and run him back to the ship, struggling and breathing harshly under all his access weight on my back being that he is at least two times my size easily. Needless to say, my attempt was failing miserably under these conditions and I break down gasping for air and holding my rapidly disappearing way of life in my arms.

Damien reaches up and touches my cheek, stroking it gently and giving a slight playful tug at my blood-soaked dirty brown locks that had lightened so much with the summer sun reflecting off the waves on the vast sea to the west. I cry as he motions me to open his pocket on the left side of his bloodied coat, slowly picking through its many miscellaneous until I find what he wants from the depths of forever-ness which are Damien's familiar pockets. I draw out his flute....

The flute I had learned to play on with Damien as my musical instructor lies in my hands. He told me once that this flute was his most treasured possession and that not many people got to touch it, let alone play on it in its carved elephant ivory. I laugh though I know that I should not, remembering the time that I asked Damien what an elephant was seeing as I had never been to a place where elephants survive and live. I silently begin to hand him his most prized instrument and he motions for me to keep it...

I suddenly feel like crying something I haven't done for decades as this memory fades away. Well until today actually because I cried at the meeting, or would it be yesterday now in the real world because I have no idea how long I have been in this forced coma from none other than my master Hiei. Even though you are my master no longer Hiei, I want to continue to call you that even if you forbid me to out loud ever. I'll call you that in my mind always, master, but I'll say it occasionally to see your stunned reaction at my own defiance to you final order as my true master. You sent a lot of spirit energy into my head to knock me out and make me calm once again, master, but my body, instead of accepting the power, took it as a deliberate attack on my mind and sent me into hibernation. Too bad it didn't work the way you wanted Hiei, I am still awake under my sleeping face, observing you all as you fawn over my limp and lifeless body and discuss me, my shady past which you have, by the way, all wrong, and let's just say "man things" while you think I sleep peacefully and oblivious to you and your doings. But why don't you participate master? Are you afraid of getting attached to them, as I am? If I was I awake I think I would want to train with you as we had in the old days. The old days are no longer here with us, master, you have seen to that by sending me into my mind to sort myself out. Did you do it because I was annoying you with my mindless shouting? Was that your first priority, to shut me up? Did you have an ulterior motive instead? I shudder at my own thought and return to my darkness instead of the outside world of which I could see before.

I hear soft footfalls behind me and I freeze finding my self weaponless and unwilling to fight although I know if I lose my life in my mind I lose forever seeing that I could not return to a body with out a soul to occupy it even though my body could theoretically live on without a soul. I turn around and I gasp in surprise at whom I see.

A soft nocturne flows around his body in the visual form of leaves on a breeze. His hands drop to his side and the flute disappears as I call out softly to him.... he tilts his head to the side, looking at the silently weeping girl a few feet in front of him on the ground, me.

"I thought I told you I can't bear to see you in anguish?" He answers me softly by pulling my hair gently allowing it to fall out of one the many messy braids my hair had unconsciously woven itself into while on my journey through time. He runs a hand down my arm and grasps my tightly clenched palm in his own loose one. "Daja... I know I have not been there for you when you were depressed before. You never let me in to comfort you and I am sorry I did not demand you let me back into your consciousness. I knew you were strong enough on your own to handle every attack enemy troops sent at you, but I didn't know you could succumb to attacks you sent at yourself. I wish," here he stoops grimacing and choking back a sob, "that I hadn't left you on the Sunfire by yourself.... I wish we never had argued... but Daja, I don't regret dying. In life, I could only watch you from afar, gently easing you into life once again as a loved individual, even if you didn't know how much you were loved. In death I can take care of you in a way I could have never done, by being there every time you need me. But Daja, now that I have forced my way into you I have realized you have come to terms with my death even if it still pains you sometimes. You don't need me as much as you used to." Here I begin to sob louder gently curling up into a ball on his legs. "You have found the truest form of devotion your soul could after me, and you have begun to accept it... even if I am not that object. You will find that you will come to rely on this form of affection more than you ever needed me when I was alive. With that I want to end our last meeting with these worlds of advice—"trust your heart let fate decide."

I quiet as he says this and reply to his words by saying, "did you make that up?"

He grins at me slyly and replies, "nope. A smart musician named Phil Collins did. Tarzan, good Disney movie. You should watch it."

I laugh at this and smile at Damien. I lunge forward and kiss his lips for a last time. He kisses me back with love he shows with out restrain. I break off the kiss first and say, "I will always have you in my heart, no matter where I go, what I do, what becomes of me, who I befriend, who I.... " I gulp and continue "love..."

"You can say it.... I don't mind."

"Damien, I will never forget you," I reply as I feel the darkness give away to light and I try to fight waking up as long as I can.

"Neither will I, Daja neither will I...." he says raising his flute to his lips, playing a song I have never heard before so I ask him in return,

"What is that?"

"This song is called 'Two Worlds', it is that Tarzan song I told you about before. You know, by Phil Collins. You'll hear it until I leave you again.... Seeya later, hopefully much later, Daja."

I step from darkness into the light, inhabiting my body once again feeling wide awake as I see the sunlight stream into this cave and hearing "wake up she's awake again" echo off the walls into my ears. Where the hell am I, this is not the same place I left when I fell into my coma. What happened me?

* * *

Satorisama with her two dragons: Hope you liked it! Review, Review, Review!!! Next chapter out soon! 


	7. Part II Chapter 7: The Agora

**_Chapter 7: the agora_**

**_Daja:_** The sunlight blinds me as I slowly stand up, letting the feeling come back into my legs. I blur over to Kurama looking at his astonished face and letting out an "hn."

I turn to Yusuke and Kuwabara who still lie sleeping though the hour is late this morning. I kick Kuwabara in the ribs and Yusuke in the butt while saying, "wake up you sleepyheads. I cannot believe you slept this late. Lazy Asses..." I grumble, as they become to come back into the world of the awake recognizing the feeling of pain on their bodies. "You amaze me.... to think the greatest detective team Koenma has and I have to be their mother...." I shiver at my analogy wishing I hadn't of said it. I feel a tear spring from the corner of my eye and I whip it away quickly willing that the tear be forgotten though I know it will not be any time in the near future. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I walk forward out of its grasp. Turning around to see his face, I watch as Kurama looks at me with questions in his eyes about what I had said about being a mother.

I answer by saying, "then again, what do I know about the profession of motherhood. I certainly never experienced it with my own mot..." I cant say it, the cut runs too deep into me and opening what I have worked for decades to scar closed would surely send me into a this time self induced coma, "I never experienced the kind of affection one should receive when only days old."

I walk past the dying embers, the remnants of lasts night's blazing fire. I saunter past Yusuke and Kuwabara who have begun to stare at me in my sudden voicing of some scrap of my past, and I can see them slowing piecing together the pieces they have received no doubt from my body language and what others have told them. They know nothing about what I went through, striving ever day to survive and find a place were I belonged. The closest I have ever come to finding that spot was when I was in Damien's arms. They stand up suddenly aware of my attempt to escape from the questions that no doubt are on their tongues. Yusuke wraps his arms around my tiny waist and I feel cold and repulsed by this sudden action of his male hormones, which have surely affected his brain now because he wouldn't have done this if he were in his right mind.

"Yusuke you fool" I say slapping his face as I have seen Keiko do hundreds of times by now, knowing this attack will strike home with him.

"I was trying to help." He pleads with me as I advance on him, feeling my eyes change to a greenish blue iris instead of the dull blue ones I "woke" up with this morning. I stop as my hand touches the hilt of my sword, as it always does with me when I turn into a murderer, and it reminds me that I am not going to be this evil creature anymore. Maybe if I stay in the light I will not be abandoned again?

I let my hand fall from the handle and look at Yusuke, saying softly so only he can hear, "You were trying to help me?"

He nods and smiles weakly and I look at him in disbelief.

"I was. Though it seems like we don't I know we all have a certain degree of respect for you and wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

I turn around and face the other three people and see truth in most of their eyes, damn it Hiei. Do you always have to hide you emotions. This is something I need to know. But I let him be his unsocial self as I pick up my bag and sling it over my shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Kuwabara asks me suddenly aware that the intent of my previous action was to get ready to leave.

"I have a job to do you dumb shit, whether you are ready to tag along or not is not my concern even if Koenma told me specifically this was a 'group effort'. Plus I grew up in this city and I have been itching to see some familiar, though distant faces and or places. Yes," I say as Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke's mouths about hit the floor as I told them that I grew up in the Demon Realm, "I grew up here and it is the closest thing to a home I have, so I want to get back and immerse myself back into the way of life here. Damien would have been proud that I got the guts up to go ...back and face my past." I bite my lip as I say this last sentence and Hiei suddenly appears at the mouth of the cave.

"Who?" he asks me seriously.

"My conscious I guess you could say." I say with a smile remembering the words of advice Damien gave me about trusting my heart.

"What was his name?"

"His name was Damien, sometimes known as the Piper due to his abilities with the musical instrument called the flute. I myself learned from him and we became partners in all crimes together. He was my life at one time...."

"You knew the Piper?" Hiei asks me with a look of surprise adorning his normally unexpressive face.

"Of course. Isn't that what I just said. He and I even were commanders on a ship once. He taught me a lot, including how to avoid questions like yours but I guess I forgot how too. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have got to go and visit the agora. I just realized how hungry I am and it seems my food stores were depleted," I send a look at Kuwabara who just smiles innocently and I growl at him, taking that innocent my ass smirk off his face, "while I was out of it. See yah around detectives." I hear rustling behind me as I walk out of the cave, seriously considering running off and leaving them behind in the cave.

But I never make it that far, Hiei tells me to stop moving and wait. So I do knowing even if I try to run off, Hiei will catch me and make me stay put. Eventually, I do make it to the city even if I have all the rug rats in tow. And upon trying to wind my way through this really familiar city, I run into a most unexpected old friend.

* * *

**_Hiei_**: The closer we get to the agora of this city, the more comfortable I become with my surroundings. As we walk down the street, I note that Daja knows exactly where she is going, never once looking around her in uncertainty at the streets and alleys. She continues to walk with the rest of us following a few steps behind her as she said to. All of the sudden, Daja is knocked to the ground by purple cloaked figure running to the tavern roughly 50 feet away. The figure turns around and says, "I am sorry, I wasn't watching were I was...Daja? Is that you? Let me help you up. They said you was dead, you look good." the figure had said all that while helping up Daja from the ground.

"Good lords of the Makai, Willow, you talk now more than ever." The cloaked figure threw her arms around Daja's neck and Daja stiffened up and said, "Willow, geerroffa me!" the figure pulled the cloak off her face and the visage of a young Human girl was exposed. There was no doubt in my mind that this girl was truly human, unlike Daja who may be part something other than human because of all her dilution and dexterity. This "willow" was undoubtedly human. She was tall and slender, her eyes a lighter shade of Kurama's eyes and her hair was a shade of pastel green pulled back into a single braid. This girl also had dark skin and white tattoos of various creatures, characters, and symbols littered her body.

"So how is... Where is..." Willow looked at Daja with many questions in her eyes. Daja just looks at the ground, and scuffs her feet. "Oh Daja, I am so sorry. I heard about it, but I always thought that it was a lie. You guys never... I mean, I never thought it could happen. You two were the strongest of us five." Willow grasped her shoulder. "Evander and Archimedes are at the bar up the road. How about one more drink, as a memorial to us as a troupe."

"Evander and Archimedes at a bar? Are you sure? I mean, I was the binge drinker (you know, I was the "alcoholic" as Evander called me)," here I thought I heard her grumble something along the lines of, _'idiot human/demon/cross inbred thing, always got to use the fancy words, your too clever for your own good. I hope you mellowed out in my absence_.' "And they were always dry as a bone," and as I watch Daja's face contort surprise and something I have come to call as her hell-fire confusion. "All right, Willow, but I don't want to drink. I've been sober for a few months now, you know how much of challenge that was for me in the old days and I am kind of proud of the fact I haven't been wasted for a while, either by drink or drugs," Daja has succumbed to the girl and is being pulled off in the direction of the public house.

"Don't worry, Daja, they understand even if I do not. Not wanting a drink, I would not have even believed it if Damien had told me."

"Come on, we can start our search here," Daja yells after her towards Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and I who I think we all silently agree something happened to Daja last night during he coma. She seems so much...so much... happier...

As Willow notices us following she asks Daja raising one of her curved eyebrows, "Who are they? Admirers? You always sold it like a prostitute, you hooker, you."

"No, you dip shit," then she looks back at us with a strange look on her face as she continues, "At least I hope not. But alas Damien said last night that I had found my last devotion in life after him."

At this point, Willow freezes and says, "He came to you too?"

Daja nods and says, "yep, helped me a lot, but then again so did them guys, if you want to call that annoyingness helping... Those are my new 'partners', I botched it up, Willow, and Koenma makes me help them out. It's only temporary so don't look at me that way." She acts like we are a burden to her.

As we walk into the crowed bar, Daja hops onto a bar stool and asks for a drink. As the bar tender with the dark blue hair that is so dark that it looks black in the darkness that is in this small and crowded bar is about to hand her a flagon of some fiery alcohol of the Demon World, shouts, "You're back! Damien wasn't lying to me!"

"Nice to see you haven't changed a bit since I left. You look like you got a little older, but not much. But that's right, you live for 400 years till your spark is extinguished. I learnt an interesting ice attack in the North Sea, want to help me try it out?"

"Yo, 'Medis. Look who showed up after all these years. What is that now, about fifteen or sixteen years since you left on the Sunfire looking for some type of tranquility with Damien. Did yall?" He asks Daja and she gapes at him in disbelief,

"Well nice to see you too 'Vander. And that's not of your business, perverted bastard."

A golden haired woman about six feet tall towers above the brunette woman on the bar stool, so she leans down on the counter with amazement in her eyes, "Look what the cat youkai dragged in. I agree with 'Vander on this one, you have been gone for too long. We missed you on our last raid, you could made things run a bit smoother, you being so, um, not short, but uh...uh, PETITE, that's the word. Could a slipped through that open window with out even thinking twice and unlocked the door for us and we could been outa there lickity spilt with all the goods. Oh well, glad your back even though it isn't forever."

"You guys fancy a walk in the agora?" Daja says hopefully. "I heard the midday music begin to play when I passed through it earlier."

"'Medis, 'Vander. You up for another walk as a team, well as close to a team as Daja can get. See, she's a spirit world goony now." The green haired girl says mockingly poking Daja in the stomach and receiving a mischievous shove in return from the disgruntling girl who had been stealthily drinking from the flagon of alcohol for quite some time now while saying, "you slut of a woman" and receiving a "you kleptomaniac pirate" in return. I note that neither are fazed by each other's name calling while the blonde and the blue-black hair take up shocked expressions complete with the stereotypical dinner plate wide eyes. I inwardly shudder knowing now that I have spent too much time in the human world if I use that way of expressing my thoughts to myself.

"You are a what?"

"No! How?"

Daja laughs as she begins to recount her capture and drink again from the steadily emptying flagon until the blue-black hair seizes it from her.

"Vander, I can hold a lot of alcohol. Give it back before I sink some fangs into your hand."

"I don't think so little girl, I hate seeing you wasted, and what fangs are you talking about, you look human to me."

"Oh thanks a lot, you bastard. Wait till I find some throwing knives, I wont use my dice on you. You are not powerful enough."

"Oh yeah!"

"Yeah"

"You wanna start something"

"You guys are starting to..."

"Shut up Willow!!!" The two arguing people shout at her irritably who then shrinks back.

"I could beat you with out even trying!'

"Oh Yeah!"

"YEAH"

"Please you guys," the green haired girl starts again.

"Bring it ON, bi-otch"

"Ok." Daja says, leaping up onto the counter and punching the blue-black haired demon right in the mouth. Then blue-black hair punched her gut while she slapped his cheeks over and over. I steal a glance at the rest of the detectives and noticed that they are surprised as hell looking at this strangeness in front of them. Yusuke's mouth hangs wide open cringing every time that Daja's hand hitting the cheek of blue-black hair probably imagining the same savage beating on him from Keiko. Kuwabara watches in awe probably because he has I think never been able to hit Daja once. Kurama just stares having sweat dropped along time ago.

"Daja and Evander stop!" Said the green haired girl, suddenly both hands each holding swords like Kuwabara's spirit sword, except shorter and an ungodly green color. "I have had it up to here," she motions high over her head, "now I am not your mothers," here Daja snorts, "that's right, mine's a slut," and reluctantly steps off Evander who sends thank you glances towards green hair, "but stop! I hate it when you do that... and I hate summoning the swords." She shudders as the swords disappear into thin air leaving a very distinct power surge in the air around her. "Daja you are no better now then when you left, no manners," Daja winces as green hair points towards us, "none at all."

"Well, I may have no manners, but it's a lot more exciting when I am around, no?" Daja says with a blank expression, "and you should respect your elders, I am much older than you young whippersnapper you."

"Hmm, how much older Daja?" Green hair asks menacingly looking at her with laughter in her eyes.

Daja sends a frightened look our way as she says, "they don't know about that."

"Hmmm... " Says the blonde, "you don't trust them yet? I mean they are your partners, shouldn't they know about your strengths... " she rubs her wrists and looks knowingly at Daja. "and weaknesses."

"No. They don't ever need to know. I can hold my own with out using the rings."

"Whatever you say manner less and weak Daja." The blue-black haired guy says mockingly.

"Hey I am not weak! Manner-less MAYBE, but not weak!"

"Wanna take this outside?"

"Sure, the agora is more fun anyway."

I am disgusted at the fact that they can argue so much about such petty thing so I say, "I pity you all."

Daja narrows her eyes at growls at me "no, I pity you. You know nothing about us and yet you can make assumptions about us. Make assumptions about me if you must because you know more about my past then theirs. I am warning you, don't go and tick off us four thieves. I doubt you will receive as much mercy from them, Hiei, as you would from me."

* * *

**_Willow_**: Sometimes I just get so fed up with the bickering and play fighting I lose control to the youkai blood that flows in veins from a very distant ancestor. My temper rises as my power does and the green swords form in my hands before I even know I had summoned them. I almost cry every time I get angry, but I know that Daja would start to cry seeing me shed tears and when she cries it blows the cover she has worked so hard to perfect over the years. I watch as Daja tells off one of her partners for making fun of us. So she still does care about our honor. I might as well up hold the old woman's.

"Daja, want to go to the agora? Your friends can come to, if they desire." I say good-naturedly trying to get back into Daja's good book. She shrugs and hops off the barstool. Its a very small book.

"Might as well be a good hostess, since I have so other choice." She walks up to stand between them and us. By us I meant Archimedes, Evander, and I. By them I meant Daja's detective team. She stands next to the tallest of the four men, well teenage boys I guess. He is tall and bulky, proportioned so much more differently than the other three. "This is Kuwabara, you don't need to say his first name because I seriously doubt he answers to it." Moving over to the next in line, the slightly shorter and black haired kid in green and says, "this is Yusuke Urameshi. Him and Kuwabara are for the most part human." Stepping once again another step to the left she says this about the deep crimson haired, green eyed, and generally the same sized as the previous male, "this is Kurama. He can give you the details about his past if he so desires." And finally, with a step again the left and a wave of her hand, "this is Hiei. He's pretty unsocial and he'll bite my head off if I say anything else about him."

Continuing by walking over to us, she steps in front of me and smiles, "this is Willow. Like some of you over in camp team Urameshi, she is totally human except for one thing. Willow, you can tell them if you want." I shake my head just wanting her to move on with the introductions. Shrugging Daja moves in front of Evander and says, "This is Evander, and he is a youkai. How old would you be now? Not the point. A lot older than most of you," Daja coughs and I think I hear her say to Yusuke, Kuwabara, "so don't mess with him. Knows a lot more about fighting than you think." And stepping in front of Archimedes and looking into her eyes she said quietly, "this is Archimedes, she is a sylph. A good one to... I am sorry I have been away for so long, I should have listened to you the first time... you were right." Daja turns around and says, "I guess we should be off huh?" She sends us all a look of false cheer as she walks out the door.

I walk next to the man named Kurama as we journey down the street to the commons as well as the market. I try to be friendly by saying, "Hello, my name is Willow nice to meet you." Kurama smiles at me and I smile back trying to be friendly towards this fellow human.

"My name is Kurama, and the pleasure is all mine." I shake his hand slowly and watch his eyes flicker for a moment and then return to there normal luminous green.

"So, have you ever been to this city before?" I ask him, suddenly forgetting what I wanted to ask him before.

"No, I cannot say I have. It seems Daja likes it here." He says in return,

"Yes I suppose she would seeing as lived here when she found me and that was nearly, oh how many years ago. Just a second, let me ask her. Daja! How long ago was it that you freed me from my fate?" Kurama looks at me as I shout all the way up the line of people towards Evander and Daja who are punching each other and beginning to get a little more than rough with each other.

"Huh...Ooh, How olfph, are you NoOOOOhw, That was definitely beloOooAw the beAAlt 'Vand'r."

"I am 22 now." I shout all the way back up the line.

"Let's see, I left 15 years ago on the Sunfire. And I found you when you were five, so that's, um...." Daja stops moving and closes her eyes, trying to figure out this math problem while still managing to keep Evander off her by punching him more than once, "seventeen years, I think... you'll have to check my math."

"It's right, isn't it Archimedes." I yell at Archimedes who is just behind Daja and Evander trying to keep them in line.

"Yep!" She yells back at me.

I look at Kurama who looks surprised at something and I guess it is because I can't do math. "I never got to go to a school when I was young, and now I have no desire to. So I rely in 'Medes and Vander's wisdom for they are both centuries old. Daja is smart, just not like she wants to be I guess. She knows how to survive, how to steer ships, how to steal, how to fight, and the list goes on and on. I probably shouldn't be telling you this though. I have had a feeling for the past two days that something bad is going to happen, and it involves heat," I shudder remembering the dream of the heat. It was all around, trapping me, there's no way out of the flames.... "And Daja's is well let's say, um, a pyromaniac at times. I really don't want to get hurt by her, she can be savage when threatened even by a close friend."

Kurama laughs nervously as he says, "I can vouch for that. She was hard to catch roaming in the human world. I think we eventually found her in Japan, though, trying to catch a portal back to the Demon World. She nearly killed Kuwabara, Yusuke, and I. She couldn't or wouldn't kill Hiei though, and I could never understand why."

I say, "That would make sense," and seeing Kurama's confused face I continue, "that she wouldn't kill him. She wouldn't kill some one so like she, both in appearance and heritage or past. She isn't that heartless; I know she has a heart underneath all the barriers she erected around herself around the years. Like, the time Vander was going to die. She stayed up with him three days in a row, slowing healing him with her life force and not even caring that she was slowly killing herself off in order to save him."

"She did all that for the guy she is trying to bump off right now." Yusuke says astonished at what I had just said. I look up a Daja and Evander and start to laugh, somewhere Daja had acquired a set of throwing knives and was threatening to throw a few at Evander if he didn't back off. Evander looks at her and pulls a wild rose out of his pocket and transforms the flower into a bunch of small sharp throwing disks. Upon each seeing the other armed with dart like weapons, they burst out laughing and tackle each other onto the ground. They are so immature even if they both are much older then I myself. I laugh at their antics, which causes them to stop and look at me slowly getting up from the ground and shoving each other off balance. Again.

"It might look like they hate each other, but deep down they care for each other like a brother and a sister, not that either of them would know about that much since they both are with out biological siblings." I say quietly as to assure they don't hear me.

"sshhhhhh.... Listen, its the midday music...." Daja, having suddenly dropped back from the front of the line to talk to me, whispers pulling my ear down close to her mouth. I remember when she was taller than me and she would have to lift me up to rest on her hip in order for me to hear her clearly.

Daja listens to the sounds coming from all around her and watches as Evander turns to Archimedes, grabs her hands, and pulls her along past some of the stalls stopping only to realize that Daja and I are behind with the men.

"I haven't heard this for years...." Daja says softly her eyes changing colors to a real dark shade of indigo as she bites her lip and looks at all the stalls. And this moment is ruined for her when the carrot topped human Kuwabara says, "I don't hear anything but a racket from everybody moving around in this crowded market."

"I wouldn't expect you to hear it. You only hear what you want to, you big oaf." She looks at all of the men and I gently step away knowing that I am in the way now. I send them all reassuring glances and Kurama smiles back at me. I am glad I at least made one new friend today amongst the strangers I note as I walk away trying to find 'Vander and 'Medes so I can enjoy the midday music as well.

* * *

**_Kurama:_** Daja looks mad at Kuwabara for insulting her way of life here. I can hear the music of the market with its strange noises that somehow wind their way into music comprised of breaking glass, banging pots and pans, chopping, and I think a grinder running to sharpen swords. "Kuwabara, you act as if you know everything yet you know nothing. Look deeper and see the power within the sound. You will be surprised." Daja scowls and turns around but stops short. Looking over her shoulder, she says, "I know it doesn't look like much, but it is the closest thing to a home I have ever had..." she turns around and blurs off towards her three friends, her family.

"Are we sure Daja is not possessed or something?" Yusuke asks seriously thought he is fighting laughter.

"She is herself, just different..."Hiei says trailing off at the end.

"What was she like when you were training her?" I ask.

"What do you mean by that?" Hiei asks.

"Like, her demeanor. You know what she acted like." Yusuke adds.

"Hn. depressed most of the time," he answers softly.

"So, she is exactly like you. Shameful, stupid, and stubby, except she's a girl and that makes it worse. You at least don't have 'That Time Of The Month' Hiei," Kuwabara says as he starts laughing.

I watch Hiei closely who scowls at Kuwabara and in his eyes I see confusion as to that slang term, I guess Hiei doesn't know much about the other sex even thought he is at least 50 years older than Kuwabara. I bite my cheeks to hold back peels of laughter wordlessly calling out to Hiei 'don't ask' as he says darkly and to my personal horror, "What is that?"

Kuwabara and Yusuke stop in mid-giggle and just stare at Hiei with a look of absolute astonishment on their faces. They look at each other and back at Hiei. I bite my cheeks harder and pinch my arm to hold back the snorts and chuckles that are violently trying to force their way out of my chest. Kuwabara and Yusuke look at each other again, and this time, fall into each other laughing until neither of them can breath enough to laugh anymore. No matter how hard I tried, one or two snickers escape from me and I smirk at Hiei who just narrows his eyes at me and the two helplessly idiotic boys on the ground still laughing though not as hard as before and with slight tears at the creases of their eyes.

"Oh that was a classic," Yusuke says returning to his feet looking quite happy.

"I have to agree with you on that Urameshi, but only this once." Kuwabara says fighting back another wave of laughter,

I pat Hiei on the top of his head of spiky black hair and receive a squirm in response. "You still haven't answered me."

Yusuke looks at Hiei and says, "you really don't know?"

Hiei, who isn't about to admit to anything, stays silent just staring at Yusuke. Wow I can just see myself trying to explain this to a most decidedly innocent Hiei. Maybe I should let him ask Daja about it. Now that would be a real fun conversation to eavesdrop on, 'cause I am not about to initiate a discussion about sexuality with this hotheaded, and very innocent, fire demon and Daja would probably have a response similar to Keiko's.

I on the, other hand as a way to get Hiei out of this embarrassing predicament, say "Don't you think we ought to find the others? They have been gone for quite awhile."

Yusuke catches my drift and agrees with me. Kuwabara just nods still snickering. I look around for Daja and the others and immediately spot Daja at a jewelry vendor trying to bargain for something with a small object. The vendor laughs and Daja scowls at him stuffing whatever it was back into her pocket and kicking the dust beneath her feet. Next she walks over to a weapons vendor and looks at some of the swords and knives they are selling under that tent's roof. Picking up a small curving blade, turns it over in her hands, examining both sides of the blade for imperfections and dullness. She smiles as she offers the vendor something from her pocket and he smiles as he accepts it, allowing her to take the blade with her. She shakes his hand in order to close the deal as she puts the blade into her bag.

Daja notices us loitering around and watching her so walks up to us and says, "I thought at least you guys would move a little. I might as well tell 'Medes and 'Vander that we are leaving soon, since you guys aren't doing anything. Might as well get the job done early, eh?"

"I think we should stay here for awhile, just you know, scouting the place out for bad guys," Kuwabara says like he is the group leader and gets to make decisions.

"You guys could stay with us." A voice behind us says knowingly.

"Willow, are you sure?" Daja answers. "I mean, they aren't the most "mannerful" group of guys we know. Well, Kurama could pass for manners, but not these two fools," she says putting her arms around Yusuke and Kuwabara's waists and pulling them tighter to her like she was hugging them. "I couldn't bear imposing on you with these two."

Archimedes and Evander suddenly appear out of nowhere in particular and say, "Daja we have running water at the flat now! You can bring your team if you want, the common area is big enough for them."

"I want to stay with you guys but it is their decision not mine." Daja looks at us, pleading for us to accept their hospitality. Needless to say after a short discussion between Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and myself, we decide to stay with Daja's makeshift family in their flat above the bar they work at because we honestly have no where else to go.

* * *

satorisama-not much of an ending thought, except that maybe daja isnt heartless. she seems to have friends, doesnt she? Review and tell me what you think.


	8. Part II Chapter 8: Address

**_Chapter 8—Address_**

**_Evander:_** ever since I was a novitiate mage, I knew that cards were my favorite brand of sorcery and magic. Not tarot or fortuneteller cards or runes or potions, but a deck of playing cards. A deck was comprised of all types of cards ranging from spades to diamonds to clubs to hearts, each with its own value and weight according to its suit and face or number value. Each time you shuffled the deck and dealt out a hand, you could really never be sure what cards you were going to get no matter how much you may have concentrated on the swift movements of the dealer.

Over the years I have come to favor the suit of spades above all the others, but each card was a symbol and had its own meaning to me. For example, the ace of spades always reminded me of Damien and how he was the strongest of us all and Archimedes is the queen of diamonds because she is always the one thief who is only going after the jewels no matter how locked up they might be. Willow will always be the five of hearts to me for when Daja brought her back to the flat, stealing a place in my softened heart and gaining a share in my trust always. She was just a wee five yearling of the human descent, although I could feel the demon blood flow in her veins from some distant ancestor of long ago. And there was also the ace of hearts...

She lies on the couch across from the short table looking at the cracking ceiling with a sullied look on her face seemingly due to the conversation she is picking up in her over sensitive ears. She doesn't like the detective's human chatter much it seems, and neither do I come to think about it. My eyes wander to Archimedes and Willow who have begun pull enough blankets out of the closet for an army. Well let's see, we make 4 and there are 4 of the detectives.... I guess that's eight, which is an ample army in my eyes though we are not united under the same crest or banner.

She is so much more different than she was all those years ago. She seems older, which is strange for her usual larger than life attitude. I wonder were her younger self went off to...

Daja doesn't age very fast, about 5 times slower than me and about 10 times slower than humans. I lock onto her energy wavelength and I chuckle softly to myself. She has changed its signature again to ensure covert and stealth cover in the human realm. And her hair, she has dyed it once again... I remember when her tresses were a vivid reddish tangerine tinted by dusty amber gold and with ultramarine or silver foxtails at the tips of each individual clump or strand. Her style of clothing has changed a lot since then as well, from the rich indigos, eloquent amethysts, and striking emeralds she once gaily wore to the dark and depressing sables, ebonies and unusual vermilions she now dons with out notion or care.

"How many cards do you want?"

"Huh?" I blink my eyes and look around me.

"How many cards do you want?" the speaker repeats.

"Oh, I'll take two please." I reply to Yusuke, as he looks at me full of interest.

I pick up my two cards, commanding the presence of spades into my fingers and find that I am rewarded with both a black jack of spades as well as the ace, a most unexpected honor in itself. I reevaluate my five cards and decide that a royal flush of spades for the third time would really irk off the carrot topped idiot Kuwabara so I bet 50 pieces of silver on this hand. I keep a straight poker face as I look into Kurama's green eyes; searching for some hidden sign of his luck or lack they're of...

After a moment of searching, I decide that he has nothing. With a quick glance at the rest of the boys lounging around the low table I find that none of them could ever have been a poker player in their previous life. Or a serious card player for that matter. Neither Yusuke nor Kuwabara can hold a relatively straight face for long or hide the fact that they have a good set of cards in their hands. How I long to have Daja sitting down with us to play.... Now she would at least be some competition, I think and I lay down my cards and say, "I guess I win again."

"Evander, go easy on them," Daja says while I quietly gather in my winnings and put them in a small bag. "You and I both know that they can never beat you. You're a mage whose specialty is slight of hands with cards and they are just humans." Here Daja rolls over onto her side and looks at me with a smirk on her face which just dares me to go on and cheat the detectives out of even more money. I can't believe she is so moody of late; maybe it has something to do with these men she works with. If they have ever hurt her, I'll...

Willow bursts out into a shout from the other room as a sound that very much resembles shattering glass sounds through out the flat. I jump up and start to follow Daja to the bedroom. Upon entering the bedroom, I see Willow. She looks stunned and her face and upper body is covered in thick deep jade colored blood, the only trait of demon heritage she visibly shows. I look at the window and the glass seems to have been shattered by someone or something. This wasn't a new occurrence but neither was it an often occurrence seeing that we live over a bar. Daja sets Willow onto the bed ripping the sheets and blankets off the cot till only the cot itself was present.

Daja quickly sizes up the wounds and realizes that her weak healing powers are not going to help this time.

"SYLPH!" She yells loudly. After looking at Willow one more time, she adds, "FOX!"

Now I turn around and back off, letting the two figures of Archimedes and Kurama enter the room. They look surprised at the carnage of Willow's body. I look on helplessly as Daja silently begins to pick out shards of glass from Willow's arms and chest, making more of the dark green liquid flow out of the deep wounds.

"Hold on...." Daja whispers as Willows eyes slide closed leaving a very eerie blank expression on willows usually meaningful face. "Sylph...Fox.... You have to save her..." Daja says coming desperately close to a whimper and still dutifully picking pieces of glass out of Willow.

Now I watch at the door with Yusuke, Kuwabara, and a suddenly now socially inclined Hiei. Archimedes gently pulls Daja away from Willow whispering lovingly, "There now, you'll see. Your orphan will not perish under my watch. Plus I feel Willow already beginning to heal her injured body. She is giving into the demon instincts now that she is so close to death, letting the shards of glass work their way out of her flesh and the already empty wounds are closing." I instinctively walk over to Daja and put my arms around her. She pulls out of my grasp and looks at Willow with a look of deep concern on her now regretful face.

"Come on, Saiai no hito. Let the two healers do their work." I reply grabbing her shoulder once again and pulling her back through the three men clustered at the door to the poker table in the middle of the common area. "Besides, Willow isn't going anywhere for awhile. Daja I just noticed, your covered in blood. Would you like to change? I believe that we still have some of your old clothing and it looks not like you have grown taller, wider, or," before I can help myself I smirk and continue, "bustier." Daja glares at me and then softens returning to an unthinkably placid demeanor saying, "Sure. I feel like a wardrobe change anyway. Where do you keep my old stuffs?"

I chuckle as I point to a small trunk under a window to the left of us, across the room from the door to willows makeshift hospital room. I watch as she sighs and says, "damn. I knew I should have kept those keys. Great now I gotta pick the lock, Evander. And In front of an audience of spirit police and outta practice. I might as well just go jump in a river and drown. Geeze...." She mutters some more questionable language under her breath as she expertly picks the lock and dives into the contents searching for some lost item from her past careful not to let the lid close on the trunk again. After a moment she stands up with bolts of fabric over her arms ranging in colors from deep reds to light greens. Looking at these clothes she says comically, "I was quite the vain little peacock back then, wasn't I?" smiling she holds out two sets of clothes and says, "Evander, pick one."

I saunter over to my sister figure and pick up both items and look them over carefully, fingering the cloth as I try to decide which would look better with her current hair and eye colors. I glance over her shoulder and see a piece of shimmery blue cloth peeking out of the chest. Gently shoving Daja to the side I pick the clothing up and examine it. This was the senshi outfit I had given her on her last makeshift birthday. She never has told me her real birth date, but I am okay with that because if she wants to tell me she will. I quickly sort through the rest of the clothing in the trunk and decide on the whitish silver bell sleeved chemise, the deep blue-ish purple pants, and a pair of purple and black boot like shoes seeing as Daja just about died when I pulled out the blue and white ones.

"Oh... I remember when you gave me that. It was so long ago, perhaps even longer than Yusuke and Kuwabara are old. I'll wear it to please you. This was the outfit I used whenever I went by Frostflame as an alias..." Daja smiles weakly and looks up expecting to see somewhere else instead of the flat and the three sets of staring eyes from the detectives. She looks out the window and whispers, "I wish I was still stuck in my immature youth. Children don't have to deal with things that transform youths into adults."

She turns around and says, "If you all excuse me, this old woman is going to go change in the bathroom. Exit stage left." She smiles and heads off to the bathroom.

The detective sort of look confused as she closes the door and begins to change.

"Don't sweat it detectives, she just is being a sour cat. I guess she is just stressed out." I say this with the best intentions of making the situation better, but I suppose they don't really understand Daja like I do.

"Well, maybe we should just get her back to the Spirit World as soon as possible. Perhaps it's the daunting task ahead of her that is making stressed. I mean, she is not as strong as us, so how could she possibly keep up with us in a fight."

I grin at Kuwabara and imagine what it will be like to fight someone like him. I'll get my chance soon enough.

Kurama nods in agreement and says, "I think we should finished with this assignment as soon as possible because my mother will begin to worry if I don't show up at home when I said I would."

"I agree but for a much different reason." Hiei adds looking impatient with the whole conversation.

* * *

**_Kurama:_** I have a bad feeling about this night, but I have no reason to feel this way except for intuition.

"Well, we know enough about this Sensou person to understand that it will not take all of us to defeat him. If we can ever find him, that is... You know, how come Koenma never gives us any direction to bad guy hideouts and really helpful information like that?" Yusuke asks sarcastically but really meaning it.

"Sensou?" Evander's eyes get really big and he snaps out of it quickly and looks interested in this person.

"Do you know this evil genius or something?" Kuwabara says trying to grasp that weird look Evander just had on his face.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Not personally, but I know of him. What exactly did he do...exactly? I mean, what kind of punishment would he receive if you caught him?" Evander looks like he might know where this guy makes his station.

"I don't know exactly," I reply. "But do you know where he lives."

"Yeah."

"Well?" Yusuke says in reply for this quick answer.

"If I tell you, you can't say that I told you... his gang would hunt me down and I don't want to danger the girls with my loose lips." Evander looks.... scared.

"Vander," Daja says coming out of the bathroom, "how much territory has Sensou gained in my absence, not all of my turf I hope."

Evander grins but replies, "Your name still holds some sway over people in the 8th sector, but.... Sensou has taken over sectors seven, nine, and eleven. He has promised to protect them from the terrible demon woman who terrorized them for years. I think he meant you. But, I live in the 7th sector and you still are important here, and I trust in you."

"Evander, you are telling me the truth right?" Daja says menacingly.

Evander backs up and nods. "I take you want to get this guy don't you. If you ask it of me I will tell you where he resides." Evander smiles and Daja grins, exposing... fangs?

"Tell us, I want to get my stupid mission over with. I want to get my sentence over with." Daja says.

"Well, that means you wont be staying the night I take it."

"Nope, we wont be. When we are done, we are to report to Koenma with the Amulet of Tamashii. I think this will be the last time we are together."

Evander nods frowns. He sets a hand on Daja's shoulder and she looks into his eyes. "I'll miss you, you know... Come back and visit every few decades, ok?'

"As if anything could stop me." Daja says.

"I hate to break up this sappy feeling fest, but I have a world to save from an evil mean guy."

"KUWABARA NO BAKA!!!" Daja says while slapping his face.

"I guess that means your not coming back for awhile. Do you want to say good bye to Willow and 'Medes?" Evander says looking at Kuwabara who lies mangled on the floor.

"No, the fewer goodbyes the better."

"I understand."

I watch as a tender look crosses Evander's face. Daja frowns and turns to face us.

"Time to leave detectives, got your junk?"

We all nod in agreement that now is the time to leave. We look at Evander and we each silently thank him for his hospitality,

"He lives out in the cliffs to the west of the city." Evander says and Daja starts going down the stairs with us following her.

"Thank you Vander!!!" She yells for the last time in awhile. We all sojourn out to the cliffs where our opponent undoubtedly resides...

* * *

Satorisama-ive been on an updating spree, and ive got another chapter or two i think that need to still be posted. keep reveiwing. oh i Luv reviews!!!


	9. Part II Chapter 9: New Technique

NOT AN UPDATE—JUST ADDRESSING REVIEWERS!!!

Satorisama- hey!! Thank you all who have reviewed!!! It makes me feel good that people are actually liking this story.

Hieisjadeddragon- not only is you screen name very cool, but thank you for reviewing!!

AnonymousHieiFan101- you to have an awesome screen name as well, and I appreciate you reviewing not only once but twice.

PainfulxRecovery-Nice screen name!!! Thanks you for reviewing and saying you like my fanfic. And to address the pairing question, I can't tell you, where would the fun be in that? But you never know, it could be neither, either, or both.... Tell me which pairing you like better I'm interested in what you think! O.o?

Venusgreenight- LOL, anyway! Thanks for saying neeto things about my fiction!

* * *

_**Chapter 9—New Technique**_

**_Daja:_** gods fuck the male half of the population, the testosterone filled bodies of the sexually stimulated. "Why wont you just give me it back!!! This is my job!" I shout at the demon across from me who just stares at me with eyes full of lust. I stare straight back into his icily and he grins. Yes, I decide, gods fuck them all.

"My, my... so it is true. Your reputation precedes you, little one. Yet you are older than most who watch you scream at me." He looks at my body, slowly checking its curves and angles from every side. I let out a deep breath and stare straight ahead. Sometimes I wish I was ugly, and then I wouldn't have to go through this experience with my every opponent, but then I could not deceive him so easily. "You grow impatient, do you not? You truly are a priceless gem from the north."

"Sensou. I personally have nothing against you. This land is no longer my home. However, I must regret to inform you that my current occupation forces you and I to become enemies." I respond un-phased by his interest in my body.

Sensou approaches me and strokes my cheek. "Evander was right about you. You are one in an eternity."

This last statement made no sense. Evander, but he is on an opposing side to Sensou. Evander told me where to find Sensou. Why would he be on speaking terms with this, this, this monster?

"I can see you have no idea what I am babbling about," Sensou continues. "Normally, it would take weeks for a paid assassin to find my lair. Do you wonder why Evander could tell you about it so quickly?"

Suddenly it all made sense. Willow chance bumping in to me, Evander picking up right where we left off, Archimedes caring for the planed injuries on Willow. I had been betrayed; I had been betrayed all along.

"So, things really have changed," I answer. "Just tell me one thing. Willow in the market, Evander in the bar, Medes in the Flat. Why?"

"You interest me. Tell me, do you know why an art collector wants a certain painting? To complete his set, of course. The beauty and charm of the third painting adds a richer and deeper sense of definition to the first two."

I voice from besides me continues, "Daja, you want me to help you?"

I look at Yusuke standing next to me and say, "detective, step down. This is not your fight any longer."

"Daja. Let me help you beat up this guy."

I turn completely to Yusuke and growl, "Detective, I said step DOWN!" I punch him in the gut and he looks hurt as he falls off the platform. I tilt my head to the left and grin totally feeling a fight coming on and the stress relieving about to begin as well, "now, since that was taken care of, where were we Sensou?" I face him again and I gasp. Why there are three more people up on the altar with Sensou and I?

"Daja, forgive me for being so fast, but, will you dome the honor of being my third wife?" Sensou says coming close to me and touching my chin.

"So, this is the truth. My Orphan and the Sylph... are your wives. And what is the Mage, you jester?" I spit out feeling the betrayal more now than before and casting dark looks towards my former allies come close family.

"Sensou, my lord, let me try to convince her that your way would be the most logical." Willow says coming closer to me, her injuries fully healed and wearing an ankle length gown that seems to be spun of gold. "Daja, join us and you will have power like you have never fathomed in your wildest passions with Damien."

"Like you even care what I felt for Damien, you weak human!!!!"

Hiei blurs up the stairs and stands behind me. He looks over my shoulder at Willow then leans forward and whispers in my ear, "you're going to need my help. Don't deny it. This has dragged on too long already." I smile and nod. This mutiny is too much for me to handle on my own, and having Hiei help doesn't seem like such a big deal. He was a thief; he also has an honor code like mine.

"Willow, step down. I have nothing against you. It is you mate I have issues with," I growl, letting my instincts take over my body. Old habits die-hard, I know this first hand.

Willow smiles at me, and steps aside, "yes my lady. However, I'll hate to tell you I told you so later, Daja-mama, when you are bound to Sensou." I walk up in front of Sensou wearing a look of complete disgust as I grab for my dull sword. (Sensou doesn't know that, I figure I have at least a 55 percent chance of faking him out before he notices).

Sensou grabs both my wrists with one of his hands and pulls me close to him, wrenching my new weapon out of my hand and demattering it into nonmatter. It figures that he is a Shaper, seeing my own heritage. Shapers are beings gifted with the power to form items out of any form of matter, air to perhaps their own energy. It's been awhile since I have run into someone with blood of a shaper's clan running through his or her veins, this is going to be amusing, but I feel nauseous as I sputter out, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!!!"

"I want you to be mine." He says bringing me up to his eye level. Sensou looks deep into my eyes and begins to come closer to my face; I think he wants to kiss me! So I do the only thing I can, I spit at his face.

"YOU WENCH!!" He screams as he sends one thousand volts of pure, undiluted energy screaming through my veins. I faintly here a, "Dear GOD!!!!" Being screamed behind me and I open my eyes, but they only open as big as slits. Kurama is up on the altar now, wielding his rose whip against Willow's spirit swords. Kuwabara and Yusuke are fighting in team style against Archimedes and her wind attacks. Hiei stands watching me being electrocuted, knowing probably I will stop living in a few moments.

Then it hits me as I realize that my breathing is becoming shallower, and shallower with every passing minute, I am dying.

So this is it, this is how my epic lifetime ends. Somehow, I thought it was going to be better, grander, more splendid, but it's not. Actually, I half-heartedly wished it would be worse. I mean, I should suffer for all the suffering I have caused, for all the piracy I started, for all the lives I took.

Dying always seemed like a... like a redemption, a chance to start over. Reincarnation was a long shot, a very, very long shot. I wasn't the nicest person always lets say ('nough said on that subject). Then again, I don't want to be reincarnated. I don't want to mess up anyone else's lives with my ineptness for life itself. But...

Dying...

Do I really want to let go?

My life, again, has a purpose, a purpose so grand I could shout for joy on the inside. A purpose...maybe that's what I have been searching for my whole life... just a reason to keep going, to keep living.

Dying...

Is this the answer I have been searching for?  
An answer... that's something I always wanted as a child. Answers to the questions like why... what did my mother abandon me only days after my birth? why didn't my father stay with my mother. Why didn't anybody want me? right now, those questions are not loud in my mind. I want something far different than answers. I crave something unconsciously. I don't know what it is, but I want it. what am I wishing for?

Dying...

I am dying....

And it hurts....

It hurts because I know it's true....

Humans sometimes say your entire life flashes before your eyes when you are about to die. Either it doesn't happen or I have not much of a life to see because I see nothing but blackness. Humans also pray to their imaginary gods for help. If I were spiritual, I'd pray for divine intervention too, but in a way... I am "divine" intervention.

The world sleeps safe from demons and they aren't supposed to know I exist. It's a sad occupation ... a great punishment however. Props to Koenma. It makes you feel unappreciated, but, hey, I have been unwanted all my life, so it doesn't really matter.

Dying...

Why am I so afraid...

I feel the weight...the weight of thousands of souls pressing on me, causing me as much pain as possible. And the weird thing is, I can feel it...I can feel the excruciating pain on my skin, like red-hot iron being poured on my limbs and back. The wind is being sucked out of me and I cant breath... My flesh is being ripped away from my bones I know it.... my gods it hurts....

Death is but moments away...

I can't hold it off any longer...

As suddenly as it started, the electrocution stopped. I want to see the world one more time before I pass away, see everything I'd be throwing away and leaving behind. I try to open my eyes, but they don't. I can feel Sensou's hands still wrapped around my wrists, and I try to tell him that I have had worse but only a small ahhoooh comes out. Turns out my mouth isn't working either. I feel the tears build up behind my eyes, and I give in.... one slides down my cheek and I lick it off with my tongue... it tastes like blood... with one last sigh and a look up at the sky (my eyes opened, but everything was still blurry), I go limp and wish the best for my master and the fox, as well as idiot and lover boy... I am moving on....

* * *

**_Hiei:_** I watch in shock as Daja hangs captive in Sensou's grasp, with more energy than I have ever felt rushing through her small body. I unsheathe my sword and rush at Sensou, only to be stopped by that coward Evander. I lose all control and kill him easily with one slash of my katana. Willow and Archimedes gasp and freeze as they both watch in horror as their partner falls to the ground, already dead before his body touches the ground. I smirk, feeling the immediate high that I get when I see horror on my opponents face.

I turn around to access my situation now that two women can be heard screaming hysterically. I sigh heavily and shake my head, Yusuke and Kuwabara are unconscious and bound to columns lining the sacrificial altar, and Kurama is also bound to a column but he is still mentally aware to what is happening. Both of Daja's former allied women are bent over Evander's corpse, already in the highly complicated process demons go through when grieving for someone bound to them. (I had already deduced that they were bound by blood and soon both Archimedes and Willow will soon pass away now that Evander was dead). Daja still lies unmoving where Sensou had dropped her and I feel her life force dwindling and striving not to fade from existence. But after a second.... It begins to fade, no more struggling... Daja... you're leaving.... But.... You can't.... I.... no...

Sensou watches his mistresses for a moment but then he smiles, "they never meant that much to me, just toys they were. Trophies that I could parade in front of other gang leaders... I never loved them; they were too bound to the past. It took too long for them to forget the love they felt for this bitch," he points to the ground were Daja lies, still barely alive, "some of my best brainwashing, I am proud of the final product." Sensou smiles and looks down at Daja once again, "she, too, will be wonderful. Depends if she survives, I was pretty mad at her. Not a big loss, what a wench," he says kicking her in the back making her cough and wheeze harder than she already was.

Now, Daja and I really didn't get along always, but, she.... I.... we.... We weren't exactly "best friends" as Kurama would say (we were more rough weather friends, when things were bad, we got along real well), but I wont let her die. She is too different to be wasted on such filth as Sensou. She is.... No, she is not leaving yet.

I charge at Sensou and surprise him by putting a few slashes in his arms, he realized what I was doing before I could inflict any real damage. Damn his reflexes.

He charges at me and forms a long spear in his hand... a Shaper... so that's why Daja look merry before he electrocuted her. I haven't run into a Shaper for awhile.... This should be fun....

After a few minutes of us just throwing and blocking punches and or kicks, I decide to use the Dragon of the Darkness flame.... I have no other choice, I open the Jagan eye. Sensou smiles and braces himself for the worst, forming a shield around his body. I smirk; nothing can stop my dragon any more. And the one person who could, Bui, was dealt with along time ago.

But I was wrong...

Sensou turns my dragon into oblivion, I myself becoming defenseless in the process. I have failed. I resign to die; I knew it was coming all along.

But as soon as Sensou is about to strike the final strike, arms pick me up and hug me to a body, protecting me from all danger as the person runs clumsily away from danger. He continues to run for about 35 feet, but then stumbles on a rock, sending us into a roll. This savior like person rolls into a ball, hugging me into the center so I don't get hurt. We skid to a stop about 50 feet away from Sensou and I open my eyes only to see the most unlikely savior above me...

"You didn't die?" I vaguely ask to Daja, who is laying on my chest and trying to raise herself off me. Needless to say, she barely can straighten her arms all the way.

Looking into my eyes, she stutters out, "no, I am an evil bitch with steel for blood... I am never going away..." brushing the hair out of her face, she continues, "you'd better stay here detective, I am about to get hazardous..."

I smile at her and she smiles back weekly, "Hiei if I don't... if I... if I don't walk away for this... I want you to know that I...."

"Are you done with your conversation over there?" Sensou says irritably from across the altar. He glares at us; Daja still hasn't found the strength to get off of me... not that that isn't a really bad thing. _No, she is a shield, nothing more_ I correct myself as she looks over her shoulder at a tremendously angry Sensou. "Step aside, wench. He dies now. I want you. He is in my way, so he dies."

Daja looks once more into my eyes and smiles evilly. Her eyes turn neon green and all her open wounds begin to heal. Her eyes seem to tell me that this is her final stand; she doesn't believe she will survive this fight... no...

She back flips off the ground, and lands in front of me, apparently unharmed by Sensou's previous mistreatment. "Sensou," she beckons, "your dynasty... it's over!" Her hair goes slightly gray and she seems to shrink, but in an attractive way. She becomes smaller, curvier, but she is still plenty large where it counts in a women. Not that I care, I just noticed that she did. She cracks her neck and I can feel the power she's emitting. Such a large amount of power...

"You are a fool," Sensou shouts as he rushes at Daja, spear poised for a fatal blow. Daja winces as she tries to run to the left. Damn it, she still is hurt. I desperately try to stand up, but the fatigue that comes with unleashing my dragon overpowers me so all I can do is sit up and watch Daja as she faces death... again...

Daja screams, sending both hands out in front of her chest to maybe slow the spear's movement down. Sensou shouts, "little good that will do you wench!!! You are as good as dead." Daja's hands begin to glow, almost like she is preparing some sort of energy attack. And all the sudden it hits me, I have never seen Daja emit any type of spirit energy outside her body. No spirit gun, no spirit sword, no rose whip, and no dragon, not even a cloud of smoke to disguise her self. Daja's eyes open and they glow neon blue as she is engulfed in a crystal like shielding barrier. It's as if she is in suspended animation, hanging as if time doesn't matter in a crystal formed from a soul's energy.

I watch in horror as Sensou laughs, thrusting his spear into the crystal to break it. As the crystal begins to crack, a large force emanating from the crystal itself repels Sensou into a column behind him. The crystal shatters into thousands of pieces that evaporate into spirit energy that returns to its creator... Daja.

Sensou growls, "you cant possibly be human, what are you!?!"

"Oh I am nothing like a normal human...but, " Daja replies staring at her hand, "Perhaps you would like to see what I am!" Daja rushes at Sensou, and her speed has increased about 50 percent from the last time I trained with her. Was she holding back all this time? That girl... I mentally growl.

Sensou's reflexes are just as good as mine, so he senses from which way Daja will attack. Holding his spear in a defensive position, Sensou waits for Daja to attack him. I can only assume he is thinking of ways to bring her down.

But Daja has assumed that as well, she jumps into the air and holds her arms in such a way that it would seem she thinks she is holding a large sword. She growls as she whips her arms down as if trying to cut Sensou's spear in half. With a sudden cloud of energy engulfing them and the distinct clinking sound of metal pushing on metal in the asphyxiating haze of power also, two figures emerge from the smoke, clothes in tatters already. Sensou looks at his broken spear in disbelief, the cut as clean as if I had cut it with my katana. He looks at Daja and then he smiles.

"You've got shaper blood in you too. This is going to be fun," Sensou says to Daja, who stands in a ready position with a new long sword. She breathes heavily, turning the weighty sword over. The sword itself is almost taller than Daja, but she is holding it as if it was a child's plaything.

"See this, Sensou! Your time is over," she growls rushing at Sensou sword poised to run through his chest. And then I see it, Sensou, he has a plan, he holds out his hands and then I know what he is going to do. Sensou points his hands at me and fires out diamond-like shards to distract Daja from what he is going to do next. She gasps, and starts to dart in front of the diamond missiles just as I shout, "Forget about me!!! Killing Sensou is all that matters!!!"

Daja disregards my order and places herself between the crystal shards and me, bracing herself as the get nearer to her. As she screams, "Oh stop playing hero, Hiei," a few of the shards disappear, but a few remain and pierce her delicate skin... okay, so I don't know first hand if it's silky and smooth, but I do have male eyes (three to be exact) and it's not like I don't have instincts I succumb to once in awhile. Keywords there are once in awhile. Blood gushes from her new wounds and she falls back from her fight with Sensou to check on me.

"You idiot," I tell her as she starts to walk away from my perfectly fine, except if you count exhausted, body.

"Sensou!!!!!! Leave him out of this!!!!!!" Daja roars as she tears the sleeves off her senshi outfit.

"So you do have a weakness," he taunts, slowly easing her away from me with out her noticing. I try to shout at Daja, telling her what Sensou is doing, but I can't I am frozen. Sensou.... You bastard.... I should have guessed he would hold my mouth shut with some energy ward. Daja, I try to send her a vibe telepathically, I don't matter... but you do.... Do not try and save me...

From Daja's body language, I think she heard me but it's to late. Sensou sends a giant ball of energy at me and Daja stops attacking him for a moment. Sensou forms a dagger and stabs her stomach, causing Daja to howl in pain. Meanwhile, I brace myself...again... for an attack meant to kill Daja and me as well. Daja looks at me and frowns, extending her hand and calmly saying "no." The energy stops and fizzles out ending in a small explosion a few feet away from my body.

Sensou takes advantage of her distractedness and stabs her upper left thigh. Backing off from her body, he says, "you could have had anything you wanted if you chose me, but you didn't. I'll give you one more chance. Be mine and you can have anything you want, jewels, riches, power, land, sex, booze..."

Daja seems to think this over, trying to stem the flow of blood from her thigh. She forms a large bandage of energy around her leg and waist that immediately get soaked with blood. Standing up she is only 15 feet away from Sensou. "Sensou," she begins while straining against her wounds, "I will never succumb to you. This is my last stand, no matter what you say." Daja's eyes go blue again, but this time both of her arms from the wrists down are engulfed by elemental powers, one a deep red I suppose is fire, and the other a light blue I suppose is water or perhaps ice.

"Your cheap parlor tricks wont work on me again!!!" Sensou laughs as he begins to form some weapon in his hands to send at Daja. Daja jumps into the air and is suspended by some invisible force that lifts her up about 30 feet into the air. Sensou falters in his weapon making; I don't think he was expecting her to actually attack him. Daja lifts both hands above her head and her energy forms a big portal at which Sensou gasps and I smirk. Daja looks downright vicious as she jumps up in front of the portal and Sensou gets ready for an attack. She throws her hands forward if summoning something out from a portal, and something does come out....

Something big....

And something terrible...

A dragon...

And what a dragon it is...

The dragon itself is not any larger than mine (I personally think it is smaller), except this one is not like that depicted in Japanese and Chinese paintings as mine seems to be, this looks like the ones Kurama showed me in his English folklore school book. Its scales look purple from afar, but I can tell that they are alternating crimson and azure scales. It head has two horns behind its yellow eyes that lead into the neck that joins at the elegantly shaped shoulders. At the shoulders a pair of large, graceful wings erupt from the leathery skin and the wingspan is at least 55 feet. The front legs are smaller than the back legs, which are very muscular, but both are ended in long talon-like claws that are as long as my forearm. The tail is longer than the dragon's body and it ended in a series of five spikes. It roars as it begins to descend down to Sensou's level, but before it does it takes Daja on its back as a rider.

"Dragon of the Forbidden!!!!" Daja screams at Sensou as the dragon bellows out a beam of blue energy with a spiral of red energy around it. Sensou smirks and erects a shield around him to block off the dragons attack.

The shield erected in front of his attack does not phase the dragon in the least bit. In fact, instead of weakening the onslaught, Sensou made the dragon angry, and a dragon is never pretty when angered. The beam of energy gets larger and breaks sensou's last hope at a line of defense.

"OH SHIT!!!!!" is the last thing Sensou will ever say in the realms of the living.

I watch as Daja and the dragon glide over sensou's remains in a giddy like jaunt similar to a victory lap. After plucking the amulet, the original reason we came after Sensou, from Sensou's ashes, Daja motions for the dragon to soar towards the clouds, and the dragon responds accordingly with an air of lovingness. I watch the skies as Daja and her dragon fly among the clouds. Soon the pair of beings comes down and the dragon lets Daja down softly on the ground next to me. She collapses into a deep slumber like state quickly and I find myself dragging my body to lie next to hers, or at least to make sure she is still alive.

Her breath is faint, but its there. She risked everything for me... so much power... she risked everything... everything for me... the fatigue that has been nagging me from the release of my dragon begins to take effect. A sniffing like sound from above me makes me look up and I meet the eyes of a very, very large and powerful Dragon of the Forbidden. Its calculating stare bores holes into my eyes, and to break its gaze would probably make it not trust me, which in turn would promptly lead to my death. Minutes pass and I become aware of its hot breath on my face. It burns but I do not turn away or cover my face.

With a small call to me, the dragon pushes Daja into my lap. The dragon's final gaze seems to say that if anything should happen to its master, it will punish me harshly with excruciating pain and with out regret. I nod and the dragon takes off flying and it disappears into another portal that looks a lot like the one Daja summoned it from.

Daja...

I look down at her and her hands are clutching my cloak so tightly that her knuckles have gone white. I don't try to peel her away from my cloak, but I do settle her differently on my legs and I give in to the fatigue, feeling very happy with the way today played it self out in the end. And in the end, I give into the darkness pressing on my mind. The world slowly fades as I slip into a deep slumber.

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Satorisama-Daja is one badass ckicki and shes stuck between a rock and a hard place. Will she overcome the guilt she is feeling about her "family" or will she turn to any means necessary to get rid of the numbness she feels inside? Please Review!!! I love you all for reviewing and reading this fiction.


	10. Part II Chapter 10: The Calm Before the ...

Satorisama- Thanks again for reading this. PLEASE REVIEW!!! I love reviews. They make me feel good....

PainfulxRecovery: thanks for reviewing again!! So... Daja and Hiei, eh? Id love to tell you when, but, where's the fun in that? J/k, its soon, so just hang on, it wont be too long because, lets face it, we're both romantic saps !!!

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_**Chapter 10—The Calm Before the Storm**_

**_Kurama_**:

"God Damn it!!! Kurama, that stings like hell! The pain is almost worse than when I freaking got the stupid wound!"

I wince at the asperity of the sharp tongued voice. "Daja, the wound is quite deep. It needs to be cleaned with the antiseptic so it does not get infected."

"Yeah, well too bad!" She winces, shoving the bottle of antiseptic away from the gash in her stomach. She turns away and pouts, sticking her lower lip out just barely and crossing her arms across her chest in an almost childish way. I stop dead in awe. She is so innocent looking when she does that. She looks at me from the corner of her almond shaped eyes.

"What's your problem?" She inquires harshly, but I can hear the fear and nervousness in her voice. She is afraid of something. And it dawns on me, she is afraid of me; afraid I am going to reject her like many others have, and betray her as her own "family" did.

"It is nothing," I quickly say covering up my amusement. Daja frowns and turns my way with a look of uncertainty in her eyes.

"Fine, if it means so much to you, you can freaking send me to hell with your stupid, pain inflicting liquid." She removes the towel around her waist and leans to the right to expose the stab wound. I pour some of the alcohol onto a piece of gauze and gently press it to the destroyed flesh that has started to bleed a little again.

Daja's eyes immediately scrunch up and she recoils from my touch. She starts biting her lip and a trickle of blood drips down her chin from a single small cut on her flesh. Her hands turn into fists and she is trying her hardest to stay still and be quiet.

She lets out a small yelp as I remove the bloody gauze from her injury, and immediately moves to cover it with her hands.

I grab her wrists. "Don't touch it, that will only make it worse." Daja obeys and crosses her arms again after she wipes the blood off her chin.

"Arms up so I can wrap your stomach, please." I say considerately picking up a roll of sterile bandages. I also pick up some scissors to cut the cloth and some herbal ointment to make the wound heal faster. Daja raises her arms up and I have to avert my eyes to the bloody, but very clean gash on her abdomen. The way Daja is built is stunning. She's more muscular and toned than lean, and her curves are heightened by her petite physique. Her long hair drapes around her shoulders like a waterfall, but it is matted with blood and tangled from battle. It is still beautiful though...

It takes all my concentration to focus on the task at hand, and even then my mind wanders to other things. Some of the things are quite...well, sexual. Perspiration begins to form on my forehead, my breathing gets faster, and my heart is pounding so loud that I can barely hear my own thoughts. As I tie off the bandage and tuck the free ends into the folds, I glance up nervously and to my surprise meet to blue eyes that are full of concern.

"What's wrong Kurama?" Daja says, and I can almost see her running through a checklist of my unusual ailments—rapid breathing, flushed cheeks, trembling fingers, and sweaty palms just to name a few.

"I'm fine." I say, trying to block out everything besides cleaning Daja's injuries

Searching my face, she frowns. "Liar."

"Come on, I have to finish cleaning the gash on your thigh, too, and Koenma wants to see us as soon as he can." I answer quickly, trying to covertly change the subject.

She continues to look at me with a subtle disbelief in her eyes, but she allows me to avoid the subject. In response to me saying that I wanted to finish cleaning the gash on her thigh, however, she rips open a hole in her tattered and dirty pants, exposing at least a few inches of upper leg for me to inspect. Another wave of spontaneous sensuality hits me, and I again try to focus at the task at hand.

Ten minutes of silence pass as I dress the stab wound, and the antiseptic causes much less of a fuss this time around. The only visible indication that Daja feels the stinging sensation is how long ago her knuckles turned white from clenching her fists so tightly.

"Done." I say full of false cheer as I stand up and begin to put away the spare bandages and medical supplies. I still feel Daja's eyes on me, and I turn around to face her. She is staring at me with unreadable eyes.

All of a sudden she is clinging onto my waist, hugging me tightly. "Thank you," she whispers before letting me go and running out the door, down the hall, and out of my sight. Sighing, I notice my body has returned to normal, no more strange, lustful symptoms but only respect for Daja and what she is going to have to face and go through. I forgot to mention to her that Koenma was not pleased with her when he talked to me previously when I arrived with Daja in my arms and the rest of the detectives following close behind.

I feel so sorry for her, I note as I start to walk down the hall to Koenma's office. So sorry.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Daja:**_

So, I am sitting in the waiting room outside Koenma's office, when I am joined by Yusuke and his girlfriend Keiko, Kuwabara, and Botan. I don't feel up to talking, my heart's just not in it. My family... they are all dead. I as good as killed them by not doing anything to show loyalty to our alliance. I betrayed them all. I've failed them. I have failed them all...

"Daja, don't worry about it. You did what you had to do." Botan says putting her arm around my shoulders. She hugs me tightly, and that only serves to worsen the pain in my stomach because of that stupid hit I took from Sensou. Kurama, he did his best to make me feel better and I thank him for that, but his stupid liquid made it hurt more by opening up the wound again.

I look up and find Hiei leaning up against the wall in front of me, looking at me with an intense disinterest. His gaze pierces me and makes me very feel rejected, as if he was pushing me out of his life and into the icy cold brightness. I look back down and choke back the sobs that burn my throat.

"I-I have f-failed-d..." I stutter disgusted with myself. Botan pulls me closer and tries to make me feel better by trying changing the subject to something less depressing. I push her away and get up swiftly. I need no pity from a ferry girl who has never had any loss as great as mine. Her pity will kill me faster than my many enemies will.

I walk over to the window and collapse in the large armchair in the corner by the lone window in between the bookshelves filled to the top with assorted, leather-bound books. I am exhausted and I need to rest my mind and body really badly. I want to forget everything. I want to crawl into a hole and disappear for a few years. I want to go back to the way things were before, to when times were good, steals were easy, and my family was with me, forever marching by my side. I want to leave and travel back to the past. I want... I want to feel...

I've become so numb....

* * *

_**Keiko: **_

"Keiko, it's best you leave her alone. She gets to be very violent, you know what I mean." Yusuke whispers in my ear as I am about to get up to go talk to Yusuke's detective team's newest addition. I disregard his statement and walk over to the girl curled up in the armchair under the window. I sit on the arm of the chair, and when she doesn't respond, I sit more comfortably.

"Hello Daja, my name is Keiko Yukimora." When she doesn't respond again I continue on with a slightly one-sided conversation.

"I know what you must be going through." I say looking out the window remembering my own problems while trying to get Daja through her own issues.

I continue to stare out the window, not really expecting an answer from Daja. But I get one anyway.

"How so?"

The voice was soft, and barely audible, almost as if the speaker was not entirely talking to me at all.

Smiling gently, I continue trying to comfort Daja by answering her questions.

"I, too, have dealt with the pain of losing someone I cared for more than life itself." I didn't tell her that this person was Yusuke, but I had a feeling it did not really matter. Daja lifted her head up and looked at me with sad blue eyes.

"I see" was all she said but those two words conveyed more feeling than twelve Shakespearean sonnets in a quick succession. With that she sat up and looked at me with thankful eyes. I was the first to not immediately comfort her with I'm sorry for your losses, but I was the first to talk to her as if she still had some shred of humanity in her lost soul. I was the first since the fight to treat her as an equal, not as some thief, or some patient, or a detective, or a grieving girl.

After a few minutes of a comfortable silence, Koenma's ogre George comes out of the office to gather the detectives for a meeting. Botan and I sit worriedly on the couch as all five detectives file in, Yusuke first, and Daja last. Not at all reassuring, but strangely soothing to see everything done in such order and with precision.

"I think Koenma's mad," Botan says as the doors close to the office.

"I think so too." I whisper looking at the armchair where Daja had been sitting. Something is definitely not right....

It's the calm before the storm....

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Satorisama: Hope you liked it. PLEASE REVIEW!!! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!!

Hmm, i think i might do a preview for the next chapter. Change the endnote up a little bit, you know? Be on the edge.

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**_PREVIEW for PART II Chapter 10-Reassignment:_**

"I did my best, but I couldn't help them."

She frowns and slams her fists into my desk. "Yeah!?! Well your best wasn't good enough. It wasn't NEARLY good enough."


	11. Part II Chapter 11: Reassignment

**Satorisama**- I thought I'd do something a little different in this chapter since it is the end of Part II, and after thinking about it while listening to the Linkin Park Meteora cd, it suddenly came to me. Hope you like it. I don't own the lyrics or the songs, Linkin Park does. This chapter is sort of a songfic, so everything in italics and in quotes is part of the song "Easier to Run." REVIEW!!! I LOVE GETTING REVIEWS!!! It's like a present in my email inbox, in the middle of the day. It rocks!!!

ADRESSING REVIEWS—

**PainfulxRecovery**: Here's a chapter for you too read when you have the time. Don't worry about the math deal, I'm not that good with numbers either. () In fact, that reminds me that I haven't done my geometry homework yet; I think I'll do it right after I post this chapter. Thanks for continuing to be a avid reader!

**Spork**: thanks for giving me a cookie. !!! And for reading my story, means a lot to me!

**Mizue-chan:** THANK YOU!!! I also got fed up with stories where the girl is super ditzy or incredibly depressed to the point where they really need a friend and some Prozac, or she instantly falls in love with one of the main guys cough Kurama or Hiei ****cough, and so I decided to change to world! Or at least write a story where Hiei and some weirdo girl are sucking face by the second paragraph of chapter 3 (how the hell does that happen anyway, I can never figure it out. One minute its all like, I hate you go away, then its BAM! What the hell happened to hating each other!?!). You motivated me to finish this chapter idea that I have been toying with for awhile now, thanks a million for your support!!!

ENOUGH WITH MY SAPPYNESS FOR REVIEWS ON TO THE STORY!!!

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**Chapter 11—Reassignment**

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_"Its easier to run, replacing this pain with something numb. It's so much easier to go then face all this pain here all alone..._

_Something has been taken from deep inside of me. A secret I've kept locked away no one can ever see. Wounds so deep they never show, they never go away. Like moving pictures in my head for years and years they've played..."_

* * *

**_Koenma:_** I nod in thought as the detectives file in to my office, and I bite my pacifier as well. So much has happened in the past 48 hours. So many secrets brought to the surface, so many private things becoming unhidden and brought into the public view.

I wet my lips to speak. "Detectives," I begin tying to sound cheerier than I actually am feeling. "Good job on recapturing the amulet."

Kuwabara laughs and offers up a victory sign. "No Problem!"

I smile weekly and look at my hands. Even Kuwabara's antics can not lighten this battle I am waging with my conscious.

"Can I have the Amulet of Tamashii?" I say as I try to decide how to handle this delicate situation. Daja did save all the detectives from annihilation and stayed true to her word on that sense, but she also lied to me when she said her spirit energy level was that of a lower C class demon and she wouldn't be much of a help if she did not have a sword in her hands. (That was the reason I agreed to have a sword crafted for her, even if it was a dead blade). The fight with Sensou easily proves she is lower S class at the least. She deliberately told me a falsehood when I requested the absolute truth. How do I know that she isn't lying about not wanting to kill the detectives even though she does have a right to revenge as she said? How do I know she wont pull a heist like Hiei and Kurama did a few years back? How do I know if anything about her is true or false?

I bite on my pacifier again. "It was a lie."

"—nd then we went to the city. After we went to that b— I, uh... what was that Koenma?"

I look at Kuwabara who had been talking aimlessly for a few minutes until I unknowingly interrupted him. I look at Daja, who at the moment is staring out with a disinterested look on her face.

"Please explain, what was a lie?" Kurama asks me curiously from one of the chairs drawn up to my desk from the waiting room.

I draw in a deep breath and debate what I should do. And then it comes to me. It might not be the best choice of action but it will work until Daja's mental health is back into the range of being slightly stable. Before I am able to say what I am about to say, Daja interrupts me by asking me a simple question.

"Where did they go?"

Daja continues to stare out the window even though the rest of the detectives have turned to look at her still form leaning against the wall.

"Daja, you know I can not tell you about the final destination of a soul. It's against the rules for me to send a soul somewhere it doesn't belong either."

She narrows her cloudy azure eyes. "What are you trying to tell me?"

I bite my pacifier as it seems to be a habit when I am feeling indecision, and look at her now tense form. "Daja, I tried to take them to heaven but, my father had other plans."

She glares at me and approaches my desk, stepping between Kurama and Yusuke as Hiei watches from his place against the wall. "Are you trying to tell me that you sent them to hell?"

"I did my best, but I couldn't help them."

She frowns and slams her fists into my desk. "Yeah!?! Well your best wasn't good enough. It wasn't NEARLY good enough."

"Your best was far greater than what you told me it was, what you swore was the truth was a LIE!" I shout back meeting her gaze with an unwavering confidence I hadn't felt before. She is the one who cannot even tell the truth, and she accuses me of not doing my best. How dare she even think that!

Daja looks taken aback for a second before her eyes turn stony and cold. "I trying to protect you," she says looking down at her hands and her voice barely raises above that of a whisper.

"Protect us from what!" Yusuke shouts, finally becoming interested in this conversation.

She turns toward Yusuke and winces. "It's... complicated... "

"Yeah, I'll bet it's complicated!" Kuwabara shouts, a strange look of betrayal on his face, though technically Daja didn't betray him at all.

"I... I..." Daja's eyes dart around the room anxiously as she slowly starts to back up towards the doors leading out into the waiting room.

"Daja, we're waiting for an answer." I say exasperatedly.

"I can't tell you!" She shouts defensively as Yusuke begins to advance on her, and in weakened state she must know that she can not prevail against him.

"Why can you not tell us what you are protecting us from?" Kurama asks as he voices his interest in this state of affairs for the first time.

Daja stops in her tracks, and looks down in shame. "I'm forbidden to tell you."

"Break the rules and tell us, you seem to be good at doing that!" Kuwabara shouts loudly. I feel slightly sorry for the ordeal I have unleashed on Daja by bring up the subject of her deceit, but it is what has to be done in order to learn the truth.

Daja winces and continues to look down.

* * *

_"If I could change I would, take back the pain I would, retrace every wrong move that I made I would. If could stand up and take all the blame I would. If I could take all the shame to the grave I would..._

_Sometimes I remember the darkness of my past, bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have. Sometimes I think of letting go and never looking back and never moving forward so there would never be a past..."_

* * *

"I only wanted to find him..." She mutters, gently falling to her knees on the bare marble floor. Her hair covers her face, hiding any emotion if she even has any on her face. "If I had only been there I could have... I had only been able to stop what happened... He'd still be alive... If only I hadn't been so numb... " 

At this point Daja is near tears, her body shaking violently as she chokes back silent sobs.

I frown and walk around my desk and kneel down next to her in my adolescent form. "Daja, you need to move on. They are gone now. There is nothing you can do for them now. Even if you wanted to, would you? If you want, you can be reassigned to a different department in Spirit World. You could be a ferry girl instead of a spirit detective, if you choose the follow that path of action."

Daja looks up and I see here eyes are the purest, most crystalline shade of aquamarine, almost like the depths of the ocean, before they turn hazy and dark. I am witnessing the most powerful and intimate feeling Daja will show us, and it's regret.

"Who are you?" a cold voice from behind Daja says roughly as Daja begins to choke back more tears, but no droplet has escaped her azure orbs yet.

"Who are you?" the harsh voice says again, this time more commanding than before. "Surely not the woman who defeated Sensou single handedly. Or the woman who fought bravely by my side even when the odds were against her. And you certainly can't be the woman who summoned a dragon equal to my own, for she had power surpassed by none..."

All of a sudden Daja's body gets real tense and is no longer shaking from crying. Awareness of a coming argument tells me to get up and move away, and that's exactly what I do. Yet as I walk back to my desk where the remaining detectives sit in a small group, my eyes never leave the unfolding battle in front of me.

Hiei stands behind Daja, annoyance clearing showing on his face and in his voice as he accuses Daja of being someone other than herself. "No, you can't be her. She would never reduce herself to a weeping pile of flesh over what has happened in the past. She had faced her fears, and you seem to be swallowed by them."

Daja looks up and her face isn't showing depression, but anger and hatred. She quickly rises to her feet and turns around to stare straight at Hiei. "How dare you insult me!!!" Daja shouts as she blindly moves to strike Hiei with her fist, but Hiei steps forward and uses his arm to block her punch.

"Idiot!" Hiei shouts as he punches Daja in the abdomen, causing her to double up with pained shout on the ground as he hits her sore spot.

All this is beginning to get out of hand, and I start to say for Hiei to stop it when he glares at me to stay silent. Kurama leans over and whispers that Hiei must know what he is doing, or else he wouldn't be doing it.

Daja gets up and looks even more frustrated and anguished at the same time.

* * *

_"If I could change I would, take back the pain I would, retrace every wrong move that I made I would. If could stand up and take all the blame I would. If I could take all the shame to the grave I would..."_

* * *

"I don't understand, Hiei!" Daja shouts at Hiei who still remains standing before her in a stance filled with coldness. 

Hiei smirks as he continues to mock Daja mercilessly. "I don't understand how you can be so weak, even when you have shown me how strong your soul is."

Daja's expression wavers for a second before she shouts back. "You wouldn't understand, even if you had been there. It was all my fault that he died!!!"

* * *

_"If I could change I would, take back the pain I would, retrace every wrong move that I made I would. If could stand up and take all the blame I would. If I could take all the shame to the grave I would..."_

* * *

"What is there to understand?" Hiei spits back as Daja begins to rack silently in sobs again. "You are blaming yourself for something that wasn't your fault. You are pathetic for regretting the past. You can't change what happened, so just move on."

Daja looks at Hiei for a second, and then stands up tall, her aura of hatred promptly dispersing into oblivion. She smirks and runs a hand through her hair. "I see what you're trying to do now. I was confused as to your motives, and I'm afraid to say your endeavor to make me move on is not working. It is my fault, and you or I will never be able to change that. But I can change the future, I can protect you all from the fate that he met. You all have lives that matter, I do not. I have nothing left to live for except my duty to memories of those I cared for."

Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara open their mouths to interrupt and prove Daja wrong but she silences then with a simple smile. Their mouths hang half open as Daja smiles, her eyes reflecting the happiness she is trying to project. One can still see the sorrow she carries inside when they look close at the seemingly happy glints in her eyes, however, and her illusion of being content with the world is somewhat muddied by it.

* * *

_"Just washing it aside, all of the helplessness inside. Pretending I don't feel misplaced is so much simpler to change..._

_It's easier to run, replacing this pain with something numb. It's so much easier to go then face all this pain here all alone..."_

* * *

She tilts her head to the left a bit and continues. "Koenma when you said that I could change divisions, did you mean it?" 

I nod my head hesitantly, wondering if I was being a little too harsh on her at the beginning. I am getting this feeling that I might not have five people on this detective squad anymore.

"Here, this belongs somewhere safe." Daja pulls out something wrapped in a small piece of bloodstained blue cloth. I catch it easily and Daja smiles.

"This old woman must be off now, she has things she must attend to." With that Daja turns around and starts to head to the door. She sighs and begins to reach for the handle and remarks absently, "I have finally figured out what I would do if it were possible for a kleptomaniac like me to achieve the impossible. Ah, the misfortune of a fallen thief."

Daja turns the handle of the large, polished wooden door and begins the struggle of opening them in her drained state.

"What would you do, Daja?" Yusuke laughs at Daja's attempt to be funny who smiles weakly in return.

"If I could change I would, take back the pain I would, retrace every wrong move that I made I would. If could stand up and take all the blame I would. If I could take all the shame to the grave I would." Daja chuckles and runs a hand through her brown hair as she rubs her injured thigh lightly. "But it isn't always that easy to do that. I guess I'll be seeing you all around, and I talk to you later about my sentence tomorrow morning." She points to her self and smiles. "This grandma need a nap before she passes out from exhaustion."

"WHY do you keep calling yourself old, your not old at all!!!" Kuwabara shouts, apparently as lost in this whole conversation. Not that that is a new thing around the office...

"Yes, Daja. I'd like to know that too. From your appearance, I'd say you can not be any older than 17." Kurama asks as he stands up to stretch his legs.

"Hmm..." Daja smiles enigmatically as she opens the door. She pauses and turns around before she leaves to answer. "If I told you that, I'd have to kill you." She chuckles and exits the door with out another word, closing the heavy door behind her softly.

* * *

_"It's easier to run, replacing this pain with something numb. It's so much easier to go then face all this pain here all alone..."_

* * *

I tighten my hand softly around the object Daja gave to me just seconds before, and I realize she gave me something very small and hard. I unwrap the object, and gaze down at the object in my hand. The gold of the Amulet of Tamashii shines in the soft light from the chandelier above as does the deep purple, enchanted amethyst of the dark fairies of the deepest parts of Spirit Worlds inlaid in the center of the intricate golden design. 

I stare at it awhile longer before a rather large smile appears on my lips.

She can be trusted.

* * *

**Satorisama:** This is the end of Part II. I hope you liked this chapter! I loved writing it, it's the first songfic I've tried to do as a chapter to this story, and I think its pretty good. Review to tell me what you think. 

Well, the next Part of this story is called (dun dun dun suspense) "In the Middle". And I've also decided to name the first two parts as well. I know its kind of late to do that, but I just decided to do that today. Anyway, Part I is called "The Makings of a Detective" and Part II is called "The Days of Transition."

Review!!! (Tries to look menacing and fails to do so) I tried... Until we meet again... or I write another chapter, which ever comes first.


	12. Part III Chapter 12: Defective

**Satorisama- **Wow, I pumped this chapter out in record timing. This is sort of a transitional chapter. I have this idea for the next few chapters, but I had to find a way to link the first two parts to together... and this is what was created (points fingers towards paragraphs below).

**Adressing Reveiwers—**

**Spork:** Thanks for telling me you liked the songfic, I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out. Should I do another one or what? Tell me!!! Cookies are always good, so... yeah... um, that was random...

**Kitsune Kit**: THANKS!!! Thank you for: a) reading and reviewing; b) calling me intelligent (not many people do that); c)giving me constructive criticism (I hate Mary sues... I think I'm going to start a campaign against them...); d) saying I put the main guys in character, and even the non main guys; ok, I'm working on the whole Daja too strong or something thing. I kind of got your point about that. Anyway, and about the Tamora Pierce thing, yes the original name idea came from her. BUT I am doing something cool with Daja's name later (at least I think I am) so its kinda not taken from that, but it sorta is. Yukina, and Shizuru will definitely make an appearance soon, but um I'm not sure as to when Genkai will, so you'll just have to wait and see. Thank you for reviewing!!

* * *

_**Chapter 12—Defective**_

**_Daja:_** I lean over the side of the huge railing of the balcony overlooking the cubicles of the ogres Koenma has recruited for help in the organization of the chaos I personally like to call Spirit World, and I sigh letting my hair falls naturally over my shoulders. After rubbing my eyes to get the remnants of lasts nights application of black liquid eyeliner out from under my eyes, I groan as I realize that I am going to have to do so much work today, and the fact that I have a mild hangover from last night doesn't seem to be helping. The fact that I have once again turned to alcohol as a way to escape from the world's hurting ways is also bothering me, for I thought I had kicked the habit for good. They say 'Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. You can never quit, but you can be sober.'

As I rub my head to try to get rid of the already dulling headache I've had since I woke up this morning, I see the truth in this maxim for the first time since it was originally said to me by Damien when he poured out the flask of whiskey I had been drinking from just moments before to celebrate the first victory of us as a team.

I suck in my breath and wait for the sharp pain of that memory to hit me head on, and I let my breath go when I realize that it doesn't hurt that much anymore to think of Damien or Willow or Evander or Archimedes. Perhaps Hiei was right, maybe I should just move on and forget the past so that I won't be weakened any further than I already am by allowing myself to care—however minuscule that care might be—for the detectives welfare.

I lay my chin down to rest slightly on my hands. I could use a drink...

"You look as if you could use a vacation, Daja."

I turn ever so slightly to the left and watch as Koenma approaches me in his adolescent form. "I don't think so," I mutter as I stand up to salute Koenma with my customary half curtsy/ half bow that he has come to realize is a way for me to show respect to those I consider respectable. And seeing as I will only bow before him, I guess must think himself very respectable.

"I think that that would be best, seeing as you haven't been to work in three days, and you haven't been doing the best job of filing papers either. Perhaps it is best if you o take a day or two off, the transition between a spirit detective and a desk worker is very hard."

I give him a doubtful look, and Koenma looks pensive for a minute.

Fearing this pensiveness, I give it my best shot at trying to convince Koenma that I'm okay, and that I don't need any help. I have been told in the past that I am too prideful for my own good, and that someday it will be my downfall. Again, I wonder if that will really happen. Nah, I can't fall down any farther today. "Koenma, I can work harder."

Koenma motions for me to follow him downstairs towards his office.

Behind my ear I tuck a stray strand of hair that must have come undone from the single braid I now plait my hair into every morning. I have also highlighted, my hair, sort of with a deep red that reminds me of a pool of scarlet colored blood, or perhaps Hiei's crimson eyes.

I blink. Where in all hells did that come from? Hiei's crimson eyes?

I really need a drink if thoughts like that are coming to me for no apparent reason.

"Daja, I've been thinking about your situation, and I've come to a conclusion."

Bracing myself for the worst, I stay silent wondering if that will help me and my situation at all, or if I should advocate me working harder again.

"You will go to the human world with Botan tomorrow, and spend some vacation time with the detectives."

Shocked, I can only watch in a stunned horror as Koenma calls Botan on her pocket communicator from the giant screen and electronic system in his office.

Botan's face appears on the huge television screen with a click. "Bingo, this is Botan here. What do you need me to do for you Koenma sir?"

Koenma continues to arrange for me to venture into the human world and see all the detectives for some non-work related business. I try to fight this verdict on my life, and I find that I cannot. Something is holding me back from arguing my point of view any further. I can only drop my head in defeat at the inevitability of this situation. I have stayed away from the detectives for the past six months in order to protect both them from my enemies, and myself from assaults by my own mind. But now I realize, that I have missed their easy presence in my life. Perhaps it would not be so bad to go visit them, catch up on what each other has been doing in the past six months. Like Damien and I used to do with our family. The pain isn't all consuming anymore...

"Daja, before you go, can I talk to you about the situation about your spirit energy?"

I look up in amazement at Koenma who is again bringing up a situation I had not wanted to face ever again. I can survive on just my swordsmanship, so why does everyone insist on bringing up the topic I would rather we just all forget. I don't want to remember... but... I can't escape my past...

"Have you had success in that area since the battle with Sensou?" Koenma probes lightly, sitting down behind his desk and returning to his toddler form.

I nervously rub my wrists lightly in thought as I try to come up with an answer to Koenma's question without giving away too much of my dark past.

"No." I begin wetting my lips before I continue. "I haven't been able to tap into the power I unleashed at Sensou since that time." Figuring this is a good enough answer for Koenma, I begin to excuse myself from his presence. What Koenma doesn't know won't hurt him, I reason as I again tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

"Daja, I would like to see you perform some of the exercises I taught you about spirit energy manipulation."

I sigh, and I begin to gather all the spirit energy to try to channel out of my fingertips like Yusuke does when he launches his spirit gun. As I expected, the energy stops at my wrists, leaving my hands devoid of any energy whatsoever, and leaving a very disappointed Koenma to only contemplate why I cannot channel spirit energy out of my hands, or the rest of my body for that matter.

Koenma sighs and rubs his chin in thought. "I don't see why you can't channel spirit energy through your hands any longer. It's as if it has been blocked off and sealed into your body. If I didn't know any better, I would even go as far as to say you have been warded."

I look away, thanking the gods that Koenma doesn't know any better. "Koenma, since I now must change my schedule to accompany Botan to the human world, may I go and pack things I might need for the trip."

Koenma nods and bestows upon me the pleasure of parting words of wisdom. "Don't do anything that's against the law, and continue to practice those energy manipulation exercises. I want to see some improvement in that area by the time you come back. I don't expect you to be up to Yusuke's level, but I do want to see you using spirit energy outside your body."

"I understand." I bow and leave Koenma's office feeling very disappointed. I don't know why I am disappointed, and it really doesn't matter. I look at my wrists as I wait for an elevator to take me up to the dormitory wing of the palace where I currently call a one bedroom apartment my home.

I look at my hands and after a second, I shove them into the pockets of my pants in disgust.

"Here goes nothing." I spit reluctantly as I push the button that will tell the elevator to take me to the fourth floor. Stepping out, I walk down the hall and think about my life, this time from the real beginning, not just since Damien and the others entered my life and proved that I could care for others.

A memory of cold, a gentle white light, and a being with an incredible warmth holding me tightly to her, then a deep, chilling wetness and deep darkness fills my mind. The wind from the fall still plays lightly with the cropped, light colored mop of hair that adorns my head—it was so light, that many remarked it looked silver until I matured and became a thief, then it became this muddy brown, a sign of my change in status. The pain in my wrists burns as the final letters of the fiery, red script fades from my tan skin, leaving no sign of her doubt in me as a faithful member of the clan behind. Only I know that its still there, that single line of writing, under the many layers of flesh and scored into the bone to forever stay with me until my death as a reminder of the fact I am a bastard child. I had been but a defenseless infant, yet she still had the nerve to throw me away like some weaker species that she could kill without regret. I had been betrayed by the one who I had been taught to love as a fundamental truth of life. I had become useless, unwanted, a burden to her... I had become one of those that were never to return to the land of my matriarch, I was one of the exiled...

One rational thought fills my mind as I open the door to my rooms and immediately walk to my well-stocked liquorcabinet to get a shot of vodka. The thought is all encompassing, comforting, a single stability on which I built my life previous to meeting Damien, and it forces me to down a few shots before I start to pack so I will be ready to leave when Botan gets back to Spirit World from ferrying dead people to the afterlife.

"I will not forgive her for what she has done to me... " And I throw the crystal shot glass at the wall, watching as it smashes into a thousand of pieces that gather on the hard wood flooring.

"I will not forgive...her..."

I look at my hands, tighten them into fists, and slam one into the wall, creating a single, small dent where my fist came into contact with the painted and plastered drywall. I pull back my hand and hold it protectively against my chest with the other, as if somehow it were only a temporary injury that could be healed one day, one that would only leave a scar behind to remind me of my suffering, one like many of the injuries that have littered my body through out all the years of my profession of being a thief.

I shed a single tear in desolation and the helplessness of it all...

"After all, she was the one who made me defective... "

* * *

**Satorisama**- sort of an abstract chapter, Daja is returning to old habits. Can she forgive and forget as Hiei said too? Will her vacation be what she needs it to be? 

(Weatherman voice) The next few days are going to be full of early fall REVIEWS and the temperature is going to stay steady for the next few days...blah blah blah, toxic waste... back to your normal news programming.


	13. Part III Chapter 13: Austere

**Satorisama-** I'm finally updating (does a happy dance). Yeah, schools been eating up a lot of my time, but here's a chapter. Daja has a dream sequence, so if you don't understand, review and tell me. I'd be more than glad to explain it to you. Review and tell me what you think to!!

**ADDRESSING REVIEWS—**

**Kitsune Kit**- Thank again!!! I'm striving to stay away from Daja mary-sue-ness. THANKS!!!

**PainfulxRecovery**- Daja and Hiei... Hmm.... ITS SOON!!!! I cant wait, I'm in the process of writing the next chapter, it's called Reunion... (smiles knowingly) Daja and the detectives meet for the first time in months, things are bound to be complicated... THANKS!!!

**Kitari-** THANKS!!! Thanks for saying my fanfic is good! (blushes) it's just something I do to amuse myself. Daja and Hiei fluff? (snickers) its coming VERY SOON !!!!

* * *

_**Chapter 13—Austere**_

**_Botan: _**I sigh as I watch Daja walk besides me, trying to gently ease herself through the crowd without being noticed, and this week, it's very easy to, for the Festival of Lights is being held this weekend in the park near Yusuke's apartment. I stop for a second as I revel in the idea of three, consecutive full days of fun, and the things that I must do in order to get both Daja and myself ready since she has never been to a festival like this before. Shopping!!!! I giggle lightheartedly as I come back down to earth from my momentary daydream.

"Daja, what do you want to do? We have all the time in the worlds to do whatever you want." I ask cheerfully, having to walk faster to catch up with the tiny girl a few feet in front of me.

"I'm... not sure I what I want to do would be appropriate. I might get in trouble, and Koenma said not to break the law at all costs." Daja replies looking vaguely interested in the small outdoor produce market we have just stumbled onto on the way to the sparsely furnished apartment Koenma has leased for us to stay in until we can find better lodgings, preferably with one of the spirit detectives. Her eyes dart nervously around to all the people buying supplies for the festival as if one could be hostile towards her.

"Daja, nobody here is out to get you." I whisper reassuringly.

"I know your trying to be helpful, Botan," Daja says looking annoyed with my comment. "But, it would be more reassuring if you would shut up."

She glares at me and starts to turn around, but she stays put.

Then it hits me.

"You have no idea where your going, do you?" I ask softly, finally able to see little bits of Daja's personality shine through her soft, pensive, empty face. She looks confused, and lost. As if she can remember where she is, but she could not for the life of her figure out how to get somewhere else from there.

Daja, who is too prideful to admit this but wants to get out of this situation very badly, replies nastily. "Foolish woman, I have a headache from... being in this crowd too long." Daja pauses a moment, rubbing her temples to try to make the migraine she says she's having recede a little so she can focus at the tasks at hand. "Can we just get to the stupid apartment Koenma is letting us stay at?"

I look at her and sigh. Of all people to be assigned to watch over for a few days, I've got to watch over the female version of Hiei who at the moment seems to be having various symptoms of PMS.

"Okay!" I pronounce happily as I steer Daja down the street towards our lodgings, not quite feeling up to a fight between my new roommate already.

It takes a couple of minutes, but we get there.

I slide the key in the lock and open the door.

"Oh my gods..." Daja whispers as she walks into the living area of the apartment as if she was treading on glass.

The place is spaciously furnished, a design both boasting the apartment's cozy loft-like feel and beautiful skylights that let in a lot of natural. The furniture is funky, but fresh, and is arranged in a way to create a flow between the rooms. Walls are painted lovely hues of vivid colors, and a mural of the ocean and the heavens is painted on a wall with a door stylized with the colors of silver, lavender, and light pink, and a door of deep blues, royal indigos, and vivacious violets, leading to two rooms, a pair bedrooms with a considerably large bathroom connecting them. A well stocked kitchen with an island is across from the large windows facing the east to catch the dawns first light in the earliest hours of the morning. Overall, the ambiance of the apartment is tranquil and comforting, not at all like the feeling radiating from the cubicles at the office. There it is all confusion, but it's sort of an organized chaos to me. Where there is a will there is a way I always say.

"If this is what Koenma calls sparsely furnished, then I want to see what lavishly furnished is." Daja leans over and carefully touches an abstract piece of blown glass that decorates the sofa table behind the long bright blue couch. "Hell, even this would bring quite a price if I were to take it to the demon world."

"We will have to thank Koenma the next time we see him." I say, spying the two bedrooms on the other side of the room. "Which one do you want? I'll race you!" I laugh playfully to once again try and break the ice with Daja and get her to loosen up.

"Too late, Botan."

The deep colored door slams behind me, and I sigh. So much for getting to know each other and becoming friends. There's always tomorrow, I think positively already making plans to get Daja to enjoy something other than the physics of running over long distances, or training in the large dojo at the Palace of Spirit World.

I walk over to the other bedroom, the light colored door, and open it to reveal a lushly decorated bedroom paradise of the shades of green and pink. I set my suitcase down on the floor temporarily and get my bearings. A queen sized bed with a dresser and a vanity table. The door on the left is the way to the conjoining bathroom, and the one on my right is the closet. Picking up my large suitcase, I set it on the bed and begin to unpack, fighting the urge to either jump on the bed like a young child, or the urge to go see what Daja's room looks like.

After both unpacking and jumping on the bed I settle down and cautiously walk through the beautiful tiled bathroom separating me from Daja's rooms. I reach for the handle, turn the knob, and peek in.

The room is painted a deep, royal hue of purple, and the ceiling has sheer deep blue fabric draped from skylight to skylight to create a tent or canopy effect. The full size bed is in an alcove dressed in dark purple sheers to block off unwanted eyes.

"Daja?" I say quietly approaching the lump in the purple bed.

The lump moves slightly in response. A faint tangy smell enters my nose for just a second, and then disappears.

"Daja?" I say again as the lump gathers more of the blankets around itself in an effort to keep itself warm.

A muffled voice responds. "Leave me alone."

Uncertain of what to do, I gently peel back the down comforter and watch Daja curl up into the fetal position underneath the knit sheets.

"Please... just go..." Daja whimpers, pulling her head into her knees as if trying to hide from the pain.

"If you promise to come out later I will."

Daja pulls the covers over her head and answers me, her reply slightly muffled. "Fine. Whatever."

Happy once again, I stand up and almost skip out of the room. At least she didn't yell at me. I flop down on the sofa and grab the remote for the TV. All the good soap operas are on right now, and I've got nothing better to do since Daja is napping. Yeah. This is the life I've always wanted, being able to sit back on the couch and just care for me for awhile. But... I think I like caring for others a lot more now.

Gazing back at the dark colored door, I smile. Yep, a lot more now.

* * *

**_Daja: _**

**Daja's Dream Sequence:**

_Dark... Darkness everywhere... can't see, eyes aren't adjusted yet._

_RUN!!!_

_I can't breathe... Gasping for air, now. _

_Something wet, on my hands... is it blood? It tastes like blood..._

_Keep running, they'll catch you... They always do..._

_Get away from here, you can't sit still for a minute, or they will catch you..._

_THEY'RE COMING KEEP GOING!!!_

_I'm beating them.... they will never catch me, I'm unbeatable, I'll never be caught..._

_Only me running now..._

_Wait..._

_DAMIEN!!!!_

_No..._

_The blood... everywhere, on everything..._

_No... he's not... he can't be... _

_Keep running... they're going to get you.... GO!!! Don't just sit there!!!_

_I can't breathe..._

_Cold..._

_I'm so cold..._

_Snow? It's snowing..._

_What is that? Are those footsteps?_

_No... I've failed... I'm caught... they found me..._

_Wait..._

_It's you..._

_Your crimson eyes...._

_NO!!! DON'T LOOK AT ME!!!_

_No, please.... Don't... _

_STOP!!!_

_Please... don't touch me..._

_Don't.... I'm not who you think I am.... please..._

_It's so cold..._

_I can't breathe..._

_Snowing harder now..._

_Warmth... it's so warm now... is there a fire burning nearby?_

_No... it's you.... _

_I like it.... stay... stay with me..._

_Wait... no..._

_Don't go..._

_Please..._

_Don't leave me here alone...._

_Please..._

_Don't..._

_The snow... it's falling so fast... can hardly see him..._

_So cold... shivering, now... _

_Don't go...._

_It's so cold with out you..._

_I don't want to be alone anymore..._

**End of Dream Sequence**

"AAAHHH!!!" I shout as awareness of my surroundings hits me like a bucket of icy water has been thrown on me. Sitting up too quickly in the bed, the blood rushes from my head, and my stomach turns. I run to the bathroom and lift up the seat of the toilet. My stomach empties itself into the porcelain bowl. Cold sweat covers my body, and my muscles spasm as another wave of nausea causes my stomach to lurch again. My chest rises and falls inhumanly fast as my body tries to calm itself down. I hug my sides with clammy hands, and goose bumps cover my arms and legs. What the hell was that? I shiver uncontrollably.

My breathing starts to get less ragged, but another feeling of sickness washes over me and I dry heave seeing as my stomach is quite empty because of the previous vomiting.

"Ugh..." I wipe my mouth on a washcloth, and grab the cup off the counter to rinse the orange pop and pizza taste out of my mouth. (I've noticed all vomit tastes like this no matter what you ate before hand). My arm shakes so badly I nearly spill half the water on my shirt as I take a few sips to gargle the taste out of my mouth. Collapsing on the floor, I try to forget that dream, that nightmare...

What the hell... what the hell was that...

First, it was scary...

Then...

I shiver as I try to stand back up. I flush the toilet as I reach for the door that leads to my room. There is no way that I feel anything for Hiei. I cannot care. I cannot love. I am incapable of feelings, incapable of feeling love. But... the dream... so warm...

"No." I say forcefully pulling my duffle bag out from under the bed. I unzip it and pull out a bottle of whiskey I stowed away without Botan or Koenma's knowledge. They would not have approved, neither would they have understood. I pull the drapery around the bed and sit on the edge that faces the windows.

I envy the humans below me that I watch walking on the street getting ready for... for... what was it? Botan mentioned it earlier. I take a swig from the bottle, and it burns slightly going down my throat. It feels nice.

"The Festival of Lights, that is what it was." I run a hand through my hair and sigh. They seem so happy while the shop or converse with friends. They seem to project ecstasy, and they seem to wear it as a badge or medal on their coats and chests.

One more swig of the of the whiskey, and I continue to watch the humans below with interest. I wish I had been born to one of them. They all bear the marks of someone's love. I once did, but those days are long gone. They disappeared with the death of all I cared for, what I once held dear, what I once proclaimed on high. Another swallow of the whiskey, another burning sensation in my throat, another dulling of the pain.

"What the hell..." I whisper as I bring the bottle full of amber liquid to my lips and rest it there for a second, just thinking. I'm putting myself at risk, I can't keep caring for the detectives. It will be our downfall. Perhaps... Perhaps if I... no... there is no way around the wall I see in front of me. I don't know if I'll ever overcome it, this thick, emotional barrier. Anther drink of the amber liquid, another burning sensation, another dulling of the steadily worsening pain.

I finger the white colored tattoo on my hip while staring out the window. I have many tattoos, but you can't really see them unless I've tanned a little because they are all inked on in rare white ink. I wonder how many people know I have tattoos. I've never told anybody, and the only person who found out by accident that I had them, is dead.

Raising the whiskey bottle to my lips, and tilting it upward to take another drink, no liquid come out. I stare at it strangely. I didn't drink all of that right now, did I?

I cork the empty bottle though I really don't have to, and I put it back in my duffle bag. I cant let anybody see that bottle, nor the other dozen or so bottles of various alcohols I have in that duffle. That would be very bad.

I fall back on my mussed bed linins and burrow myself under them. I'm so tired. Just a little nap. Botan... didn't she say something about coming out later?

No...

I don't believe that she did...

I think I'll just stay in here, in bed...

I grin lopsidedly into my pillow and snicker uncontrollably. Why? Well, I don't rightly know. I just... can't stop laughing. And I don't really care either.

I fall asleep feeling happy and giggly. Nothing can bother me while I sleep. After all, nobody can beat me, nobody can catch me... the lone assassin of the north, that's me....

* * *

**Satorisama-** not much of an ending thought, tell me what you think. REVIEW!!!!

Manchester England, England! Across the Atlantic Sea!!! I'm a genius, genius. I believe in **REVIEWS**, and I believe that **REVIEWS **believe in Claude, and that's me!!!!

(lol, has anybody else seen the musical or movie Hair? I luv it!!!)


	14. Part III Chapter 14: Reunion

**Satorisama- Ok, here's my newest chapter. I think if I were to describe it in 3 words, I would have to say it's: abstract, deep, and perhaps a little comedic near the end. Ok, so that wasn't just three words, but it was close!! Again, an abstract chapter, but... If you like it review! Or if you don't review!**

**Adressing Reviews-**

**Kitari- Thanks again! And I would love it if you could get your yyh luven friends to read my fic!!**

**Kitsune Kit- what did you think. I was trying to stay away from marysueness, but I dunno. I rely on you for my marysue detection, so please tell me when I've done something marysueish.**

**Spork- thanks for continuing to read this. Hair is about the 60's and Hippies avoiding the draft and getting ridiculed. It's really good. You should watch/see it. But it's got some nudity, so, watch thine eyes if you don't like that kind of stuff.**

**PainfulxRecovery-thanks for saying my style of writing is cool. The dream was my favorite part about writing that chapter, and I'm glad somebody liked it!! Kudos to you for starting a story!!! I can't wait to read it!**

* * *

_**Chapter 14-Reunion**_

**_Hiei:_** She's back.

I was sitting up in one of the lower branches of the large maple tree in the park a few blocks from Kurama's school. It was late afternoon, and the sun was beginning its slow descent to the western horizon.

People were bustling about below my tree, carrying bags of decorations around and beginning to decorate the park with streamers, lanterns, and beginning to set up booths to buy food, toys, and souvenirs. It was busy below me, and the noise of the workers kept me from sleeping.

I was bored. I didn't want to go to Kurama's house because I knew that his family would be there, and I didn't feel like going back to Makuro's castle just yet. I was on leave at the moment, and I wanted to enjoy myself a little before going back to my duty in the Demon World. Something was nagging at me to stay in my maple tree and just watch all the unfolding events happening below. I wanted to observe the confusing ways of the humans, perhaps even interpret some of what as going on too. Everyone kept talking about a festival filled with lights and wonderful foods and good times, and I was vaguely interested in what that might be.

A couple of human women began to decorate the tree I was in. I didn't feel like being discovered, so I jumped from tree to tree until I found another large branch to recline on. I glanced below at the large crowd, and I saw a blue haired girl along with a short, brunette girl in the crowd. For a second I was unaware of what I had just seen.

As realization hit my mind, I did a double take.

There Daja was, walking along nonchalantly through the park with Botan. She looked nearly the same as before, yet older, as if she had aged in the six months she'd been part of the paper brigade in Spirit World. Her hair was tied back in a long braid and streaked with a vibrant red, no longer in the many braids with gems woven into them. Her skin had lost the sun darkened, barely-there tan it had gained from constant exposure to light and was now a paler tone. She was wearing a pair of dark, baggy jeans, and a light blue shirt, and she had a large duffle hoisted against her back and partly on her shoulder.

My eyes were glued to her as she walked below, her graceful gait the same as when she left as if nothing had changed, but I was frozen in place as she continued on her way with Botan.

It wasn't until after she left my immediate eyesight, did I move at all.

With one final glance with my Jagan eye at the girls now making their way down the street towards a residential area of the city, I fled to a more secluded area of the park to think.

"She's back." I whispered like a mantra as I jumped from tree to tree, almost flying between the thick, leafy branches. I thought I was rid of the confusing problem more commonly called Daja.

I grimaced as I stopped on the highest branch of the tallest tree in the park overlooking the busy city around the small slice of paradise that the park was to me. "Damn it."

With that, I made my way to back to the festival area of the park to sleep in my maple tree, were I am now reclining against the trunk, my hands behind my head.

A small smirk forms with out my consent on my lips, and I drift off into sleep with an empty mind save for that one terrible, troubling, yet bizarrely calming thought, she's back.

* * *

**_Kurama:_** The sunrise is beautiful this morning, I note as I look out the window taking a small sip of my freshly made green tea. The yellowish light bathes the city in a golden glow that makes me smile. The city of gold... My home.

In retrospect, this city is the best thing to happen to me. I've learned to care for others here. I've learned to love others here. My life is here. My human mother is here. My friends are here.

I sigh. For the most part, they are all here anyway except for Hiei, Botan, and Daja, though Daja isn't really a very good friend yet.

RING, RING!!!

I gaze at the phone for a second, before answering it. What is it, six, six-thirty in the morning? I've been up since five-thirty, but who else do I know that would be up at this time. Surely not Yusuke or Kuwabara for they are probably just falling asleep, and I doubt that Hiei's even knows what a phone looks like, let alone how to use one properly. Koenma would just send Botan, and Botan just comes to visit my house. Daja... Well, I'm not sure she would want to talk to anyone of us on the detective team. Since the Amulet of Tamashii case, she's been different, changed, touched in a way. She doesn't smile anymore, and she rarely speaks. When she does, it is to inform us of our next mission because Botan is unavailable to do so, and that has only happened once, about six months ago, right after the case that silenced the bright, blue-green eyed girl we had come to respect for her strength and astuteness.

"Hello? Minamino residence, Shuichi speaking." I ask setting my tea down on the kitchen table and pushing the talk button on the phone's handset.

"HI KURAMA!!!" A bubbly voice says happily through the phone. I'd recognized that voice anywhere.

"Hello Botan. How are you?" I say happily as the ferry girl laughs cheerfully for no apparent reason whatsoever, yet that is very endearing to me about her. I can't imagine life without her sometimes. She is always there to lighten a troubling situation, and there during the hard times to back me up in an argument with Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"Good, and what's up with you?"

"I'm content with life right now. I was having some tea before you called."

"Oh." Botan pauses thoughtfully for a second. "Sorry about interrupting you Kurama. I'll call back later if you want me too."

I smile at Botan's caring words. "It is not a problem, and I have not been able to talk to you for two weeks. Why are you using the phone, if you do not mind me asking? I seem to remember you always coming over to talk in person when you had something to tell me."

Botan is silent a moment, but her giggles let me know she is still on the line with me. "Guess where I am right now!"

I run my tongue across lips to wet them to speak, and a rather smile erupts on my face. "You are here."

"Bingo! You win the prize! Koenma has me on vacation for awhile, so he's letting me stay in an apartment he has leased for two years."

"That's great news Botan."

"But that's not all. I have a surprise for you, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei if he's around. Actually, the surprise is courtesy of Koenma, and I'm just a delivery girl."

I listen thoughtfully as Botan asks me to meet her in the park near Yusuke's house later this afternoon. I write the information on a pad of yellow lined paper, and ponder what the surprise might be.

After saying goodbye to Botan, I set the phone down on the table and pick up my now cool cup of tea. After refilling the cup, I resume my post at the window.

What could Botan have for us?

The question bothers me while I sip my green tea and ponder the many items Koenma could have gotten us.

The sun's golden glow reduces to a warm yellow sunshine, and the day begins as routinely as the day can.

* * *

**_Yusuke:_** What the hell am I doing here? I could be doing something else, something fun even. But no, I'm stuck here waiting on a bench in a park for a stupid girl that probably doesn't remember that she called me to tell me to wait on this bench in the middle of the park for her.

"Geezus, Botan! Where the hell are you..." I mutter leaning back against the painted green, wrought iron park bench I am sitting on.

I continue to let my anger stew on the bench while I watch the committee of the Festival of Lights supervise the volunteers who are decorating the scenery with streamers and lanterns.

Botan better have something REALLY good to give me, because I'm not happy I had to be woken up at about six forty-five this morning by an overly spunky ferry girl that has no sense of time whatsoever.

"Damn her." I grumble as a woman decorates a tree close to me with many small paper lanterns. Women watch eagerly while men set up tent-like booths to sell stuff in.

Stupid people, so much fuss over a stupid holiday. No point in the festival, except it's a tradition from when the city was just a small town in the middle of nowhere.

"Oi! URAMESHI!!!" A loud and obnoxious voice yells from down the sidewalk and to the left.

"Hey, Kuwabara." I say as he walks over to me with a smirk on his face.

"You getting something from Botan too? Or are you just here because you wish you were getting something." He jokes as he sits down on the bench next to me.

"Well, that's the question isn't it." I say sarcastically, resting my hands on the back of my head. I frown at the latter half of Kuwabara's words and decide just to ignore that comment for now.

Kuwabara and I sit here for awhile before the familiar scent of roses enters our noses, and we look around for the approaching fox thief that we are currently friends with.

"Hey Kurama." I say as Kurama approaches from the path on the right on the bench. "Botan rope you into this too?"

"No, I was told to come, and, as you can see, I am here. I did not have plans today, and meeting with Botan did seem like something to pass the time." He says smirking that smirk he has that reminds us of the fox thief that is part of his soul. The smirk is scary and joking at the same time, a constant inconstant in our constant consciousness of all our cronies.

Note to self: never use constant or any long "C" more than once in the same sentence. It is very confusing when you are angry with a certain ferry girl who should be here by now.

Kuwabara leans back against the bench and look serious as he rubs the back of his head in thought. "Do you think Botan stood us up?"

Kurama laughs softly and leans up against the freshly decorated tree as the women leave to decorate another. "No, I just believe she has messed up with our time system again."

"I HAVE NOT!" Botan says loudly from about 100 feet down the pathway to the right dragging something behind her as she walks up to Kurama, Kuwabara, and me who stand up to great our annoying ferry girl friend. "I WAS DETAINED BY THE SURPRISE!"

"Hello Botan." Kurama says as Botan brushes the hair out of her eyes and wipes the sweat from her brow when she finally reaches us. I suppose I could have walked down there to meet her, but, she made wait for like an hour, so didn't because I was still aggravated.

"Hello, boys. Well, at least you three are here." Botan looks around sadly for the currently MIA Hiei and shrugs her shoulders. She turns the to side and hold her arms out in a cheerful manner as if displaying something... but all that's there is air.

"Um, Botan? There is nothing there." Kuwabara says snickering as Botan whips around looking every which direction for whatever she has brought with here.

"Crap." Botan runs to the nearest tree and looks up into the branches. "YOU GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!!!"

The tree shakes for a second before falling still again.

"NOW!!!"

The tree shakes again, this time something, or rather someone, falls from the branches and lands gracefully on the ground.

That person, or rather woman, brushes off her clothing and turns to face us, her blue-green eyes shining a moment before going dull. Her reddish-brown hair is tied back into one single braid, but many strands have escaped their bondage in that solitary plait. She plays absent mindedly with her blue shirt's sleeve. "It's been awhile, detectives."

Kurama looks astounded as the girl speaks and takes a step forward. He immediately smiles as she sticks out her small, pale hand to shake his large smooth one. "It's been too long, Daja."

Kuwabara explodes into a happy shout, and throws himself at Daja, who immediately dodges his attack. He shouts expletives as she uses her foot to ram his head into the ground. "DAJA! YOU FLIPPING, STUPID—GAH!!!"

Daja's eyes go all the way blue and she realizes what she has done. "Kuwabara..." she whispers as her eyes get cloudy, and she leans down and helps Kuwabara back up.

"What was that for!?!" Kuwabara yells as Daja backs away from him. Daja grins and Kuwabara immediately takes a step backwards to get away from the now insanely grinning girl a few feet away.

"You never attack someone who is stronger than you." Daja says mockingly, crossing her arms across her chest in a matter-of-factly sort of way.

Kuwabara just takes another step back as Daja takes a step forward to stand in front of me. "Hey, detective."

I smirk. "Hey Daja. How's life?"

She looks up and me, and for a split second, her eyes look a lot like my mom's after she's been out partying all night with a few bottles of sake. "I'm... okay." She looks down for a second before continuing. "Pushing papers all day isn't the best... you know how Koenma can get."

I smile reassuringly and put an arm around her shoulder, laughing as she stiffens up at the small gesture of friendship. She looks up at me confusedly, and I laugh even harder. "So you're here with Botan. How long you staying, anyway?"

"Till whenever Koenma wants me back."

I laugh, and so does Kuwabara and Botan. This causes Daja to smirk; like nothing has happened since the last time we saw each other. Everything is the same between us when she smiles, like it was before she was reassigned when we were all gathered at my house to discuss the next case, the case that changed all the rules, the case that changed the way the game is played, the case that changed everything. With a simple smile, she's brightened all of our days, returned us to the team we truly are, the family we are.

A simple reunion between friends can change the playing field drastically, and our field has just increased tenfold because of one straightforward girl who changed our lives forever by just being a part of it.

* * *

**_Satorisama_**- Anyway, how did you like it? School's been hectic, but I thought I should at least strive for at least a chapter a week. Whadidyah think about this one? REVIEW!!! 

**Late night, come home, ****Work sucks, I know. ****She left me _REVIEWS_ by the stairs, ****_REVIEWS_ let me know she cares!!!**

**(Blink 182 all the way!!!)**

****


	15. Part III Chapter 15: Crusade

_**Satorisama-**_YEAH!!! A NEW CHAPTER!!! (Rejoices). Anyway, I've been busy. Midterms! (Gasp). I had no idea how much of my time they were going to eat up. Plus I'm on tech for my school musical, and this week is tech week, so I'm busy with rehearsals and performances all week even though I'm just an usher. I even miss Halloween, how bogus is that! Anyway. I'm getting to the good parts, and the latter chapters of part III are going to be real good and hold lots of promise. (Another songfiction I think, but I'll come back to that later). So... um, REVIEW! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!!

**Addressing reviews- today's word is... WOOT!!!**

**Spork- WOOT, PARTY!!! Anyway, thanks for continuing to be a cool reader!!**

**Kitsune Kit- WOOT, NO MARYSUENESS!!! THANKS!!!**

**PainfulxRecovery- WOOT!!! I know what you mean about school, to little time for anything anymore. Yes, Daja is like Hiei's female double. Same eyes save for color, same height, and abilities. Strange yah? For a human girl and a demon to be so much alike, but are both what they seem? **

**Living Impared- WOOT!!! THANKS for REVIEWING!!!**

**Naoko Asakura 009- WOOT!!! A thanks for saying my fic is cool. And I agree, Linkin Park is better than Blink 182. I was just listening to Blink 182 when I was writing my beginning and ending thoughts, so... yeah...**

**Shadow-Seeker-13- WOOT!!! THANKS for reviewing!!!**

_**ON TO THE STORY!!!!**_

* * *

_**Chapter 15-Crusade**_

**_Daja:_** I am so tired... and being dragged around by an over giggly group of girls is not helping my hangover at all. Actually, the fact that they're over giggly today is helping, because in spite of their seeming awareness of everything I do, they have yet to notice my booze-induced headaches and muscle spasms. But the giggling... I could do without it.

In the past, I would have killed someone for being a loose tongued, ditzy twit. I pat my pocket, and the contents click against each other soothingly. My only weapon besides my strength, my dice, at least I still have them. Now, however, my only objective is to survive, and my reputation is not on my mind too much anymore. Hell, I've even let go of my title as the most ruthless of mercenaries, the most swift of thieves, the most merciless of murders, the Lone Assassin of the North. But somehow, I never let it go... I will always be her, that emerald eyed murder in whose veins flow the deepest desire for revenge and the power to avenge her betrayal. She never left, and the line between us has never been any more vague than it is now. She is me and I am her; we are the only assassin of the north to prosper in a land other than our homeland. We are powerful, we are cunning, and we are one united, though she has been dormant for the past six months, and frightens me more than she should.

Of course, I am sure that I was called many other, less tasteful things by those who were more than ignorant of my power or my nasty, little habit of carrying out death threats even if I have to go extremely out of my way to do so. (That only makes their death more excruciatingly painful and rewarding when they find out the true extent of my power, so it's no biggie). Hmm, I think one of those titles went like this: evil bitch with steel for blood. Yeah, that was it... I even adopted that as one of my favorites, at the time, and with my band of thieves, the nickname caught on real quick, like a wild fire in dry brush.

The lower class demon who so unkindly dubbed me that name was never seen again after I showed him what he was really dealing with.

"Daja! Come on, you just HAVE to try on this skirt." Botan insists as she pushes me towards the back of the small clothing store's dressing rooms, or so I've been told.

I sigh and grab the most indecent thing, no skirt I have EVER seen and step into the cubicle with the mirrored wall. Stepping out of my comfortable blue pants, I slip the extremely short skirt up my legs onto my hips, and after I do, I notice, with some amusement, that my undergarments show above the so-called waistline of the strip of cloth called a skirt. The blue strings that keep my panties on are on my upper hips while the "skirt" lays just above what I consider indecent areas for a woman to flaunt to strangers. (Unless you are trying to con them, then those areas are perfectly acceptable for flauntage).

I step out of the dressing room, and am sent right back in to change into something else, something more appropriate, as that Keiko woman put it. I could care less, but I change into at least the entire store's clothing line before I am told that we must go somewhere else to see what other clothes would look good on me. Another store, another dressing room, another few sets of clothing—I am losing my patience for this foolish human ritual called shopping.

I could not care less for a new pair of pants. I have three pairs of work pants—black, dark blue, and a vivacious red (the red being for celebrations in the demon world, and by work I don't mean spirit world paper pushing, but work as in covert missions and assassinations). And shirts, I have enough shirts as well, I note as I slip a red tank top on. I have half a dozen various shirts—all in different, dark shades—and they fit my requirements. Durable, lightweight, waterproof, and easy enough to care for.

"Daja, how does it look?"

I sigh and look into the mirror before I answer Keiko. I must admit, the red tank top does not look that bad, and I do like the way it ties behind my neck. Not bad, it actually sort of matches my red pants and my highlights... my crimson highlights... I look away for a second, immediately engulfed in a whirlwind of emotions. I don't want to think about... that, not right now, and not ever.

"Looks fine Keiko. You want me to come out and show you, yah?"

Botan answers for Keiko. "Yes, of course."

I step out, covering my exposed waist with my arms. Botan grins, and immediately dives into another rack for more unnecessary clothing, while saying something about we needing to get more clothing for me for the next few weeks because I cannot live on one, teeny, weenie duffle bag. Botan scares me, but if she only knew what the contents of that duffle bag does for me. But she can never know. No one can know.

Shizuru turns from the rack of clothing she was looking at, and glances at me with an appraising eye. "You look good, kid. Not half bad."

Keiko nods in agreement. "I wish I had your figure, Daja. Everything looks good on you." She turns this way and that way in the mirror, looking at her body from all angles.

I sigh and look out the window at the street. So many people getting ready for that stupid festival this weekend, and I have to go because Botan insists that I "live a little." I smirk, I have lived, and life was good, but without Damien, I have no purpose, and thus no life, and hence here I am now without much of a future to live for. And I regret it. I regret never telling him how deep my feelings for him went.

"Don't think too hard, or there'll be permanent damage." Shizuru says putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Remove you hand or lose it, it's your choice." I say automatically. I do not like to be touched by anyone I do not trust, and Shizuru has yet to gain my respect. When she removes it, I turn around and face her confused gaze. Shrugging off all emotion, I wait for something else from one from the three girls I simply must try on.

The afternoon went like this until I simply snapped and refused to let anyone come near with me with any other piece of clothing. Regardless, I was forced to try on clothing until I had a wardrobe much to large for me to ever need to wear. The girls, I suppose they were trying to help me, but... I am beyond help.

"Bye Daja. See you at the festival." Keiko turns to walk away, arms loaded with bags of new clothing.

"Yah're my kinda girl, kid. Yah know how to deal with stuff yah don't like. See yah 'round." Shizuru waves a new jacket slung over her shoulder. She lights a cigarette and walks towards her apartment. She's not half bad, for being that idiot Kuwabara's sister. Could make quite an ally if she was more powerful.

Botan smiles and waves at both of them, her eyes glowing with happiness. "Come on Daja," she grabs my arm and starts to drag me back towards the apartment, "We've got to figure out what your going to wear to the festival! It's in three days, we don't have much time to waste!"

I sigh, stick my hands in my pockets, and walk next to Botan, who is currently chattering about how she cannot wait to go to this festival. From the way she describes the festival as the most exciting event she ever been too, I get to thinking about maybe enjoying my time here in the human world with the detectives and their girls.

It's nice, real tranquil here in the middle of the buzzing city, the exact opposite from the demon world and the spirit world. Everybody here seems courteous and helpful, so happy and full of serenity. Though I may appear to be one of them, I am never going to be able to live like the humans that surround me as I walk down the street.

But...

A thief can dream, can't she?

Suppose I did let go of all my barriers this once, and truly see what life has to offer now that I am alone. Could I do it? Would I do it?

"Many people meet their true loves at this magical festival I am told. Oh... Daja, do you think any man will ever fall in love with me?" Botan asks dreamily as she unlocks the door to the apartment. Her face is flushed with a gentle pink that matches her rosy, magenta eyes. The long blue hair frames her face as she walks to the couch and reclines lazily onto the cushions.

I blink. "You're asking me what I think?" I reply, visibly startled. This was the first time since the beginning of my punishment that anyone had asked me for my opinion to... well, anything.

Botan looks over at me, still looking moonstruck by the idea of being a lover. "Of course I care what you think."

I look down at my hands. This is so new for me. To have somebody actually care enough to hear what I have to say after Damien went away, it's so strange, but I offer my humble opinion without regret. "If someone could fall in love with me, then I'm sure there are one thousand men who simply adore you, Botan." I turn to the large window opposite the couch, and stare out to the street below. I know Botan heard everything I said, and I assume she's going to just as curious as the detectives were about my relationship with Damien.

Botan's glazed look fades quickly, and a look of surprise crosses her features before being replaced with an intense curiosity. "Who was he?" She asks, and I can feel her questioning gaze on my back.

Debating whether I should tell her or not, a feeling of intense sorrow invades my mind. I never got to tell him how much I loved him, and it's all because of my big ego. I couldn't admit I loved a human, I couldn't admit that I loved. After all, I was never meant to have feelings, let alone love. Regret, I regret waiting till the last minute to analyze my feeling for him while he lay dying in my arms. And I didn't even tell him then.

Before I know it, I blurt it out. "Damien. He loved me, and I never told him how I felt. I hate myself for being so unfeeling." I dash back to my bedroom, lock the door and the door to the bathroom, and throw myself against the bed, hitting my forearms on the headboard in the process. Deep purple marks appear on my arms immediately, and I ignore the load banging of Botan knocking on my door. Reaching under my bed, I feel around for a bottle of vodka. When I find it, I sit up and immediately take a few sips, the pain numbing with every second.

No more knocking. I guess Botan gave up on trying to talk to me. For now, at least. I shudder, and before I know it, the world fades out into a calming darkness.

* * *

**_Botan:_** Damien.

Why does that name sound so familiar?

"Damien." I repeat to myself softly as I brush my hair while I stare at myself absentmindedly reflected in the vanity's simple mirror.

My sky blue locks curl gently around my shoulders as waves do on the shoreline, and I run the brush though it softly.

Damien. I'm sure that's what Daja said. The man who loved her, Damien. And she never told him how she felt. Could it be she loved him back, but something happened to their relationship that changed everything? Something that prevented this neglected woman from having the beautiful ever after everyone dreams of?

"She hates herself."

She didn't mean that, did she? Daja isn't in the process of ending her life, or I would have been notified that I was going to have to take her to Spirit World, so I guess that everything is okay. For now, at least. I pray that Daja doesn't take her life in a selfish act to end her own suffering indefinitely.

"Damien." I whisper, as if repeating the foreign name will offer some insight into this troubling situation.

It's funny, but I remember that name, from somewhere, from a long time ago. I must have been a mere child nearly half a millennia ago. It's familiar, but so distant.

Yawning, I make my way over to the comfortable bed a few feet away from the vanity

"Damien." I say once more, hoping for a spark of insight, but nothing comes.

Perhaps I should sleep on it, and I'll just have to wait and see how everything turns out.

I watch the sunset behind the tall buildings, and I smile, still feeling a little uncertain, but happy none the less. Today was different from being in Spirit World, but... I kind of liked it, being a regular girl for once, shopping and hanging out with my friends for once, gossiping sort of with another girl. And tomorrow, my only plan is to maybe become friends with Daja, or as close to being friends as she'll let me. Maybe we can decide what to wear to the festival together, like best friends. Maybe...

My last thought before drifting off to sleep is that of the promise the Festival of Lights holds of love.

"Maybe someone out there does love me," I murmur sleepily into the pillow. And with that, I begin to dream as the world begins to quiet down for rest. Yes, perhaps someone does love me.

* * *

**Satorisama**- WOOT!!! So, did y'all like it? I did, but that's probably because, you know, I wrote it. But seriously people, the festival is going to be really good!!! I promise!!! And I'll tell you a secret about later... Daja is going to do something, and everyone is going to be surprised. That's so vague... that is just might work!!! LOL. 

And here's where I come back to the future songfiction. I want some opinions before I start writing it, but I might write it anyway, cuase I have this neeto idea. Here it goes... I'm thinking about using the song 1000 words from Final Fantasy x-2. NOW I know that this is not Yu Yu Hakusho related, but it goes with the feeling I want to go with (thats coming to terms with feelings and death) , so... what do you think!?! REVIEW and tell me. (if you havent heard that song, well, um, email me and I'll try to send you a copy of the mp3 I have).

And here'e everyones favorite part of the ending thought. MY review song thingy!!!

This weeks song is... ok so its not a song, but a quote from a ffx-2 commercial (see a trend here? again email me and i'll try to send you a copy of the commercial).

**When the world around you is not what it seems, the only thing you can count on is... your REVIEWS!!! **

(I am in luv with the final fantasy series. FINAL FANTASY ALL THE WAY!!!)


	16. Part III Chapter 16: The Festival of Li...

**_Satori-Sama: _**HOOOLY CRAAP!!! Its new years!!!! HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! I've rejoined the land of the living after about two months of being an irresponsible writer, and I'm sorry by the way. I've just been under the books with school, and tired because of all the crap I have to do, and I haven't been able to finish this chapter, and well, you get the picture. I pumped out this chapter in about 3 days total over my winter break, and I really really hope you all like it

**Words to my reviewers….**

Kitsune Kit: I'm hoping MarySueness is down in this chapter, and I promise it will stay down. I've got another case for the detectives after the festival, and well, I'm gonna try. Daja is actually gonna sort herself out next chapter, at least about some issues (wink wink)!!

Living Impaired: Thanks Lena, I hope this chapter is just as up to snuff as the last. Review and tell me what you think, because as a writer, everyone's input is valuable.

Poppy: Poppy, is it okay if I call you Poppy? Awesome. Poppy, thanks for your support, please continue to read because your name is really cool.

Venusgreenight: After a few weeks of your nagging, I mean "encouragement", I've finally finished this chapter. Thanks for being an awesome antiwriters block, and just for the record, I want you to know, rocks aren't people

* * *

**_Chapter 16: The Festival of Lights_**

* * *

**_Daja_**: "Want any?"

I blink. "Eh, what?"

"I said, do you want any? Here."

A bowl of some kind of food is pushed into my lap. On autopilot, I take a little of the food and pass it to the person next to me, careful not to spill any on my jeans. I lean back against the tree and look at the food strangely, not quite sure what it is. I pick up my chopsticks and poke the food once, and then again, to make sure it is edible. What is it? It surely doesn't look like food I've had before. I mean, for one, it doesn't even look remotely edible. I mean look at it, it's triangular in shape and thin like a booklet of people I use when checking the filing system in the Spirit World. The bottom layer looks like baked bread, but on top of that, there's a strange, thick red sauce with some strange circular meat and some yellowy-white stringy stuff. I take a sniff and nibble at the edge. I make a face and set the weird food on my plate, and laughs fill the air. Looking up, I see the bright, snickering faces of those I am starting to consider more of friends than allies.

"Well." I smirk as good-naturedly as I can. "I'm glad you're having so much fun at my expense."

Kurama covers his laugh politely. "I'm sorry Daja. I just haven't seen you act so funny since Kuwabara told you looked bloated or something."

A fresh outburst of laughs at the not more than five minute old joke makes me at least smile. It's… nice to be able to laugh at myself. It's relaxing, you could say, for me to be focused on something other than myself and my past, like making these other five people laugh.

I look at Kuwabara, who immediately tries to put his laughs in check. It is highly needless to say that he fails at even this simple task. I shake my head and roll my eyes. Searching for something edible on the light blue blanket everyone is sitting on, I spot a plastic bowl of ramen between Keiko and Yusuke. Go figure, yah? I tug on Kurama's sleeve and point at the ramen like a child. He laughs again and obliges, and I finally get my first meal of the day. I pick up my chopsticks and watch as the events unfold at this… this… what was it called… picnic, that's it. At this picnic.

"You know, I'm really glad we got such a perfect spot," Botan giggles as she looks around at the many groups of people picnicking in the park around us. Looking up at the tree, "And such shade with this tree." She giggles and returns to eating the apple she was working on before her observations.

"Me too." Keiko agrees. She smiles at Yusuke who simply smiles back in the weird way he can.

"What do you think Daja?" Kurama asks as he watches at the people milling about the mini marketplace about 300 feet away.

My chopsticks stop about halfway to my face and I answer without even thinking. "Honestly, this is a waste of my time." I take the bite of ramen I was eating and everyone sitting at our blanket looks at me in horror, including Kurama. I choke on the ramen at being the sudden center of attention, and I manage to stammer out "I mean that in the best way possible of course." I smile largely, ramen hanging out of my mouth and all, and everyone bursts out laughing. I take that as a vastly good sign and continue to eat.

Everyone continues to chatter, and as I lean forward to look at the contents of another basket full of food, I catch a few words of the conversation, and what I hear scares me. "Do you think Hiei is coming?" "He said he might drop by…"

I immediately grab what looks to be a small box of sushi, and I sit back against the tree. I open it an examine the contents: some tuna and sushi, some soy sauce. I use my chopsticks to pick up a salmon one, and dip it in soy sauce.

It hadn't even occurred to me that Hiei might be here. I assumed that he was somewhere in the Demon World, probably at Makuro's castle. I eat the piece of sushi and pull my knees into my chest, balancing the box of sushi between my stomach and thighs. I had hoped deep down that I wouldn't have to face him and my problems today. I had deemed today the day I let the past go. I had finally accepted that fate hated me with a burning passion, and that I was just going to have to fix things on my own from now on. But… well, everything… concerning Hiei is just… too much… too much…

Kurama taps my shoulder softly. "Do you want to go walk around the marketplace for awhile?" His emerald eyes look concerned and I take that as a sign that I might want to go with Kurama.

"If you insist." I respond quietly.

We begin to make our way to the marketplace after we promise to be back at seven o'clock for the opening ceremony. It is supposed to be the best one in years, or so Keiko says.

We walk around in silence for a few minutes before Kurama speaks. "So how have you been Daja?" After a second, he adds, "The truth this time. Not what you told everyone else. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can fool me behind that mask you wear."

I had hoped that he wouldn't see through me…

We stop in front of this one market stall, and I look at the goods this vendor has to sell. Bolts upon bolts of beautiful silks and satins, traditional kimonos, even some quirky festival outfits. I pick up something blue with various shades of blue polka dots all over it.

"You want to know how I am, yah?" I press the shirt up to my chest and try to imagine what it would look like on me. "I'm not good, but I'm not rock bottom yet either." I set the shirt down and smile at Kurama, who just returns with a puzzled look.

"Kurama, can I ask you a question?"

He nods as we walk along the stalls. "If it is reasonable, I will answer it."

I look at him appraisingly, then turn away. "Have you…ev-ver… f-felt-t…" I stutter for a moment and fall silent.

Kurama puts a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

I look away and feel a sudden change of heart. I can't let on how much I hurt, how much I am confused by these feelings. Feelings like these are secret, private, meant to be held on the inside. I can only watch from afar, that is the only safe way…

"Never mind…" I mutter and stick my hands in my pockets. I look towards Kurama.

"Daja," he whispers as he puts an arm around my shoulder, "Just know you can talk to me about anything."

I smile and lean into him. "Understood."

And with that, we continue to walk through the bustling market silently.

* * *

**_Hiei:_** This is a waste of my time. Although the detective and his friends try to make me feel welcome at this "picnic", their efforts are in vain. They are only making the situation worse, and I must exercise every ounce of self control I possess because that Idiot Kuwabara keeps calling me shortie. I could claim that is was an accident if I do "accidentally" mortally wound Kuwabara. Kurama, the one voice of reason I will listen too when it comes to the subject of murdering that Idiot, seems to have disappeared with Daja into the marketplace. 

Daja…

I look away and fix my gaze upon the lake at the bottom of the hill. I have to be careful around her in what I say and do…

"Hiei? HELLO!?!" Yusuke shouts irritably from a few feet away.

I glare and look at him. Coldly, I reply. "Detective, do not shout at me again."

Yusuke smiles hands me some food. "That's what I thought you were gonna say. Here."

I push it back at him and frown. "I wont poison myself with human food."

"Geeze." Kuwabara mutters and when I turn to glare at him, he immediately turns away.

I lean back against the tree and close my eyes. Everything is so loud, there are too many people here for my liking. It hurts my ears; my sensitive hearing is sometimes a fault.

Why did I feel I needed to be here? Not even I can answer that question. It's not like I have any amount of affection for these people who consider themselves my friends. I do not have friends. This situation is troubling, and I do not like the risks I am taking.

Wait… Risks?

I open my eyes and look at everyone sitting on the blanket. They seem to be playing some kind of worthless game, and from the pleased expression on Kuwabara's face, he seems to be winning.

It wasn't like I am taking enormous risks sitting here in this throng of humans. I can sense demons from miles away, and it will be simple to avoid them if necessary. It is a common, everyday occurrence in the Demon Realm, and I run into suicidal demons who wish to kill me even in the lands under Makuro's rule. Since I am her legal heir, no man, woman, child, or even lower level demon in Makuro's domain may lay a finger on me without suffering the penalty of death, yet many still try to slay me in vain hopes of their own self glory.

I frown.

It has been this way for as long as I can remember. People chasing after me, trying to kill the abomination that I am. I am a taboo on my race, the forbidden child, exiled into the land of the mere demons that kill each other without regret. I am half Koorime, half dark fire demon—two species of demon that are traditionally mortal enemies. I do not belong with the either line of blood for I am of mixed parentage. I am not proud that I am of either side of demon blood. The dark fire demons kill without remorse, and will slaughter entire villages if even only slightly provoked. As much as I dislike the dark fire demons, I perhaps dislike the Koorime more. From what I remember of the mile high village, and what ancient scholars have told me, the Koorime is a race of ice faring demons from the northern Demon Realm. They detached themselves from the realm nearly five thousand years ago, and little of them is still known. They are as brutal the Amazon women of the Human World's myths, yet as gentle as feathers from the wings of the holiest angels in the sacred realm. They are fierce warriors when the need arises, but prefer to keep to themselves on their island in the sky. The Koorime dislike all that is different. They cry tears that turn to jewels because their body heat is so low, and the tear gems bring in billons of dollars on the black market, which is why Yukina was held prisoner two years ago.

Yukina has never told anyone exactly what went on in Tarukene's tower where she was held prisoner. From what we know from various informants, Yukina was abused, both physically and mentally, perhaps even raped for all I know, and all so she would shed her most valuable tears. She suffered at the hands of terribly greedy, terribly evil men, and so must her captors suffer dearly. I will track down every one of them and make sure he knows what the wrath of the Forbidden Child feels like. I will avenge her suffering, though I know she will never be the same innocent girl I distantly watched from afar all those years ago.

I sigh discontentedly as I open my eyes and survey the surroundings again. Too many people.

My gaze stays with the first thing it falls on.

She looks up as if she can feel my eyes on her. Her eyes are soft, almost heartbroken, yet strong and resolute. She catches my eyes after a moment and smirks a little, just for barely a second, before turning back to the card game she was playing. Her long, long hair is in hundreds of little ringlets of soft looking brown hair with vivacious flashes of an obnoxious red sporadically interspersed within. The red in her hair contrasts wonderfully with the blue shirt she is wearing. Her skin is a creamy white, and a sudden urge to sit next to her forces me to use every muscle to stay seated right where I am.

Unbidden, a single, random fact enters my mind as if trying to convince me to sit with her. Worn on a young woman, ringlets are a sign of fertility for some tribes in the Demon World.

Forcing myself to look away from Daja, I try to fight against the acknowledgement that Daja was a human raised in the Demon World. She knows so much about the lore of demon cultures, but perhaps it is only coincidence that she wears her hair that way today.

How long has it been since I have spoken to her? More than a few months, and the silence between us is deafening, is painful. She's wasted away from the powerful fighter I once knew to the fragile looking girl in front of me.

The most confusing person I know is the one I want to speak the most to, and that boggles my mind.

"Hiei?"

Everybody is standing up, and looking at me with curiosity and laughter in their eyes. Daja is standing in front of me, her eyes wandering to the crowds walking towards the lake, as if trying to avoid contact with my eyes. Her lips form a smirk as she wets her lips to speak and pushes a stray strand of hair behind her left ear.

"You coming to see the show or what?"

After a second she stands up and looks down at me. After a moment, she sighs and looks away, and she starts to head back towards the group of people who consider themselves her friends.

It's only after they start walking away that I get up, shove my hands in my pockets, and follow behind them. They don't seem to notice me until I see Daja look back towards me. Her eyes are world weary, her expression blank.

I frown and Daja quickly turns to face the direction in which she is walking.

It seems like only a few minutes before they all stop and sit down again. What a waste of energy, was the old spot simply not good enough for them anymore?

As if he heard my thoughts, Kurama snickers and says good naturedly, "This is where the show looks its best, next to the lake"

Yusuke bursts out laughing at something Kuwabara says as he deals out the cards again to resume whatever game they were playing before they moved to a new location.

Kurama sits down next to Botan and Keiko, and they start chatting about various human ideas that sicken me as the sky begins to darken with the sun as it sets, leaving deep purple streaks across the sky.

Daja collapses on the blanket with a grace that surprises me. She looks directly at the reflection on the lake, and her eyes never waver from that. For a moment, she seems like a statue, still and unmoving. After a few seconds, she regains motion and fluidly leans back onto the blanket and stares at the deep blue sky peppered with light stars of the early evening. I continue to study her calm expression, and the sun sets. When I watch her, it is like looking at a painting. I know she is physically there in front of me, all my senses say that she is, but her mind is else where, wandering places I have yet to discover. I study her, hoping to find a trace of what she is thinking about. That is until something in the sky draws my attention away from her.

The sky is exploding.

* * *

**_Satori Sama:_** So… How was that? I hope you all at least semi liked it. I'm gonna make up my long absence from to you all by writing a lot of chapters over the coming weeks. I'm not so sure about the songfiction right now though, but the next case for the detectives is gonna be a hoot. New characters, reappearance of old ones, casinos, bars, cocktail waitresses, dirty money, evil superbaddies, and a royal flush that loses—let me tell you!!! Anyway, this is Satori, signing out. 

_Review thingy o' the chapter:_

**There is only one thing that stands between you and oblivion…. The greatest REVEIWS in the universe, your looking at 'em!!!**

Feel free to send any questions, comments, and ideas anything EXCEPT flames to me via email.


	17. Part III Chapter 17: The Return to Inno...

_**Satori-Sama:**_ HI!!! It's me again. I bet you're all very surprised to see that it's only been like 3 days since I last posted. Want to know a secret? I'm surprised too. Let me tell you how it all started. I was supposed to have babysat my two cousins today. But it's been pretty crappy outside, for like, since last night, and I wake up at like 6 so I can get over to their house. Turns out my uncle didn't have work so he called and said I didn't have to come over. And I was like….. Okay, now what am I gonna do all day!?! Needless to say, what you see below you on the screen is not a test, but the actual next chapter in my series T&T. Yes, I have finished Part III, but no songfiction. I just wasn't getting the vibes for it. Anywho, hope you like it and tell me what you all think.

A few words to those who **REVIEW**!!!

Shadow Seeker 13: Thanks!!! I always wondered what hiei did while he was just sitting there, so I thought, what if he's thinking about stuff. And it was like, I dunno, this revelation I had. I was kind of cool.

Venusgreenight: I have only one thing to say to you: you are the ultimate dictionary. Very nice.

Spork: LOL!!! Nice, not exactly the words that I would have used… ah, screw it, that's exactly what I would have said.

PainfulxRecovery: OMG, I know! It's been way to long, and I totally apologize. I've been meaning to update, but school sucks. Anyway…. Cool.

Kitsune Kit: YO! Thanks! I'm thinking maybe mary-sueness is a little up in this chapter, but I'll let you be the judge because I might be a little bias. Okay, a lot bias.

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_**Chapter 17: The Return to Innocence**_

_**Hiei:**_ I have never seen anything like what is happening in the sky. Large flashes of bright colors explode high in the dark purple night sky, each accompanied with a high pitched whistle or deep booming noise. Purples, pinks, blues, emeralds, reds, and whites all streak across the heavens like a shower of enchanted fire. After sitting tense for a few long moments, I realize that the display above was not meant to harm me, but to amuse me.

My first reaction actually was to freeze and hit the deck, my second was to run to the side and take cover in the trees, but I held steadfast on the blanket, unable to move as the most awesome display of power I had ever seen in the Human World was played out in the heavens before me. With every passing minute, this demonstration of graceful bursts of light grew larger, louder, grander, more all encompassing, and I couldn't help the foreign tightness I felt on my face as my lips slide over my teeth and form a single smile that lasts if only just for a second, but I did stop myself from laughing even though the pressing on my chest demanded a release of the breath in my lungs.

When the final burst of explosions flickered out on the soft summer night breeze, the sounds of applause from the crowd below erupt all around me, and I suddenly am aware of my environment again. Kurama clapping softly as he chuckled at Botan, who is clapping with a force to rival that of perhaps the whole crowd. Kuwabara and Yusuke are not clapping, but the smiles on their faces gave away the fact that they thoroughly enjoyed the show. Keiko has this blush on her cheeks that make me wonder if Yusuke's smile wasn't all for the show after all.

Daja, however, is the only one in my immediate view who is not cheering. Her body is rigid, her back straight as a very well made sword. Her hair is pulled back at the nape of her neck, which makes me wonder when I could have missed that small action. Her face is not emotionless, but rather a whirlwind of emotion, and her eyes are a clear and strong sapphire tinged with emerald, reminiscent of how physically powerful and confident she was of herself before the Amulet of Tamashii case.

For a moment, time seemed to stop, as Daja's face erupts into a smile. Even from the side, it was not hard to tell that Daja had thoroughly enjoyed the show.

And I'm not the only one who seems to have noticed the joyfulness that Daja is emitting.

Yusuke laughs, "Did you like that Daja?"

Daja turns to Yusuke and replies, "Yes, very much. But I have one question."

Botan giggles and runs a hand through her blue hair. "Ask away, we will answer anything."

"Anything?"

Kuwabara responds stupidly, "Anything."

Daja wets her lips, and the faintest rosy tint settles on her cheeks. "Um, I just wanted to know, um, what exactly were those things?"

Everybody's face shows surprise, and I can't help but to think, What exactly are those things anyway. Nothing in the Demon World even remotely measures up to those explosions in the sky.

Kurama smiles softly and explains. "Those explosions you saw, you don't know what they were?"

Daja looks up at the sky. Her gaze is wistful, almost longing, as she replies. "No, I'm afraid I have not known such things like that."

Keiko grins and says, "Those, Daja, are called fireworks."

A soft silence between everyone fills my ears, as they all look at the stars in subdued tones of wonderment.

* * *

_**Daja:**_ Fireworks.

Or was it Flameworkings?

I'm pretty sure it was Fireworks, but… I don't know, the name doesn't seem important right now, just the mental image I have of those.

I had never seen anything like that before.

It was truly beautiful. Like flowers of light in the dark, dark sky.

I lean back into the grass and sigh, watching at the stars, wondering if my family is looking down at the same ones I'm looking up at. Damien…

Suddenly, I feel calm. The feeling is strange, something very new, like everything is almost right. So calm…

I catch a movement to the right of me from the corner of my eye, and I tense up momentarily. I sigh realizing its only Yusuke shifting his weight. Closing my eyes, I purposely try to remember Damien, Willow, Evander, and Archimedes.

It's hard….

It's hard to remember, but I think… I think they would have liked the show tonight. If not Willow, Evander, and Archimedes, than at least Damien. He would have loved the bright show in the sky, the obnoxious display of beauty and what he would call senseless sensuality. This time, I can't help but to agree with the sensuality part. Damien worshiped the beautiful, the exotic, the sensual part of the world. Music was magic to him, and he often told me that I was….

I smirk softly as I remember this pleasant memory.

"You are the incarnation of everything I worship," He would say with that smile that could melt any girl, except for me. His words were dreamlike, and he would weave them just for me. He told me that as long as he had me in his life, his life was good. If I looked away embarrassed, when I looked away embarrassed, he would press his lips to my cheek, undemanding, but wistfully. I see now that Damien had loved me more than he ever told me he did, and I… I miss him. A lot.

Botan once told me this festival was of light and love, and as I look around me, there are indeed many paper lanterns, and magical lights in the sky were a testament to that if not these little glowing lanterns strung in, around, and between the many, many green trees. And for the love part, well… I feel warm, even fond of all my memories now, the good and the bad. In studying the good and the bad, I realize what I am, and what I have become over all these years, is who I am.

I've come to accept who I am after all these years, the bastard child turned thief who has lost everything and anything I have ever felt any emotion towards. That I cannot change that isn't so bad. I think I….

A shooting star streaks across the sky, and I can't help but to hum in happiness. Life hasn't been t this good for awhile.

"You sure seem happy." A rough voice from behind me says quietly.

I close my eyes for a moment, and nod hesitantly. I open my eyes once again to stare at the sky. For a moment, I feel like a child, and I reach up towards the heavens wistfully with my right hand, cupping some of the sorcery of the night in my palm.

Silence in return.

Gradually, tentatively, I pull myself into a sitting position, wondering if perhaps I have done something wrong. I nervously turn around, and look at Hiei, his arms crossed across his chest, his eyes closed. He seems tense.

"My family is dead." I say quietly, very self conscious of my words now.

His eyes open and look at me blankly.

Turning away, I look back up at the sky again, hugging my knees to my chest. "You must think I'm cold." I pull in a deep, steadying breath, refusing now to be brought down by a man who… who… I shake off the doubt I have and forge on. "But instead of only dwelling on their sacrifices and death, I have to move on, forget about them, pretend nothing happened. Can't you see that?"

Silence in return again.

"It's okay if you hate me." I say even more quietly than before, even though I know he can still hear me. I laugh softly, sadly. "Actually, it's not surprising that you hate me." I bury my head in my knees, the rejection in the air too much for me to handle.

An owl hoots somewhere above me, and the nighttime music of the lake begins to weave its way around me, forcing me to stand. I turn around quickly, my hair fanning out and curling once again naturally around my shoulders. A stray curl or two hang down the side of my face as I stare at him. His red eyes seem blank, empty, devoid of emotion as I meet his gaze bravely. I refuse to let him believe I am afraid of him.

For a moment, time seems to stop again, and we just stare at each other, each of us refusing to break the glance first. After about five seconds, I give up, and I shrug, closing my eyes, before I look up at the stars again. "Darkness, death used to be my refuge. I would work as a mercenary, a thief to avoid everything that hurt, that made me feel useless, a burden. But now, instead of dwelling on the fact that they are all dead, I must forge on, make a new future for myself." I sigh and turn around to face the lake, smiling as I feel a huge sense of relief flood my being. Life has finally opened a door for me at last.

A hand on my shoulder makes me jump, and the smiling face of my favorite red head brings me back to earth. Kurama's happy eyes more than make up for Hiei's silence. Chuckling, Kurama says lightheartedly, "Are you sure you want to make a new future with us. I mean, look at us, is this what you really want?"

I look at Yusuke arguing with Kuwabara, almost coming to physical blows over the card game they were playing. Keiko is just sitting there with cards in her hands, embarrassed and shaking her head at the immaturity. Botan, on the other hand, is laughing and trying to break up Yusuke and Kuwabara's fight. Hiei looks away and I quickly avert my eyes at look up at Kurama who simply smiles and snickers softly.

Running a hand through my hair, taking in everything, the detective and Keiko, the Idiot, Botan the Ferry Girl, Kurama the Yoko fox, and Hiei….

As Kurama puts his arm around my shoulder, I tease lightly. "They aren't so awful, but there is this devilishly tricky fox that keeps touching me without just cause."

Immediately Kurama chuckles and hugs me to his side. "You cannot possibly mean this fox, can you?"

I poke his side, and laugh. "Of course I do." He smirks, and I can't help but to hug him back. Then I smile, pointing at everybody else. "There will be no living with you all after this, I hope you know."

Yusuke smiles, and Kuwabara waves. "You guys getting a little close over there?"

Kurama and I look at each other and laugh. "No Yusuke, we're just friends. Just like you and Keiko, remember?"

Keiko blushes, Botan laughs. I can't imagine why.

Kuwabara however looks confused. He manages to say, "Wait a minute, Yusuke and Keiko aren't just fri—ouch!!!" before Yusuke elbows him in the side, perhaps a little two eagerly.

I smile at their antics, feeling very tired, but happy all the same. Letting go of Kurama, I slump down onto the blanket and brush back my hair from my face. Botan hands me some fruit, and Kurama sits down next to me and asks if I want to play cards.

With a mouthful of peach, I pick up my cards and settle in for a night playing cards with the unsuspecting fox waiting to take my bets. I'll bet all my silver that he's forgotten that Evander was a mage of spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts, and that I've simply learned from the best of them. For a second, I consider telling him. Yeah right. It's his fault his memory purely sucks.

After winning a huge pot of yen from Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara, I can't help but to snicker casually as I count out aloud the exact amount just to see their stunned, defeated faces, "You know, I think I like it this way… It's not so bad."

* * *

_**SatoriSama:**_ My ending thought…. Hmm… I GOT IT… NO, NO, wait….. uh, um… wait, dont help me, ah....sigh I'm a little review thingyd out, but how did y'all like it? Was it ok? It was the end of part III, and the starting of part IV is on the way!!! I'm excited for the next part, a new case!!! Oh the suspense!!! Anyway, at this point, it's my bedtime, and I have to wake up at six am tomorrow to hopefully baby-sit my cousins. I hate living in the Midwest during the winter. Peace and Love, SatoriSama signing out.

Review thingy o' the chapter:

**REVIEWING** games on the pc was like….

There are a lot of great games on the Mac, like Warcraft III….. um… that puzzle game with the Apple logo, that's a great game. I **REVIEWED** it… but… it's, it's still fun.

(Roosterteeth productions…. Very nice. Check them out at )


	18. Part IV Chapter 18: In the Case of Zane...

_**SatoriSama:**_ HELLO! and for all my Spanish speaking homies, HOLA! (if I knew more languages, I'd say more cool hellos, but I don't, so… yeah…) I've finished another chapter. It was actually cool, I had like this wicked fit of inspiration. But now, its about 1:03 in the morning (central time) and I probably should be getting to bed, but I want to get this posted in the morning so here I am, writing everyone's favorite, my intros and conclusions. So, after I respond to the LOVELY reviews I got from everyone (there were Iabunch, I was excited!!!)

_People who are cool enough to review get a wacky message from me every time, so you should too if you don't already!!! :_

_Spork:_ I thought fireworks would be cool seeing as everyone's favorite not-couple (no names mentioned) probably never would have seen them before. And I love fireworks. This New Years eve we shot some off, and I totally said to my dad, "Kickass! I still have three fingers left from last year!" Thanks for reviewing!!!

_PainfulxRecovery:_ LOL! I seem to have a lot of friends who dream about Kurama. Anyway, I luv the idea about Kurama and Daja and Hiei (oh my!), and I just might use that, we'll have to see. And this part (part IV) is were things get complicated between you know who, okay… more complicated then they are now.

_Kiarah:_ I truelyith thanketh thee for thy nobleth criticism, and it tis duelyth noted from noweth on forwardeth. (was that good enough grammer for you?) By the way, I totally have confidence in myself and my writing, I just simply don't like grammer. So… yeah…

_P-chan:_ OMG! THREE REVIEWS! So awesome. Thanks, your support is awesome, and I loved your reaction to Kurama. That's sort of what I wanted to portray him as, the only stable part of the team. THANKS AGAIN!!

_Venusgreenight_: fireworks… heh heh…

_Kitsune Kit:_ AS always, I thank you for your awesome Mary-sueness alert system. And about hiei and Daja and Kurama, this part (part IV) will clear everything up.

_Living Impared:_ I do not blame you for your computer deficiency. I need a new computer, so getting to the internet sometimes can be a bother. Thanks for continuing to be an avid reader.

OMG, SO MANY REVIEWS!! ONTO THE STORY!!!

* * *

_**Chapter Eighteen: In the Case of Zane Gensou**_

**_Hiei:_** Koenma looks slightly frazzled as he looks up from the mound of paperwork on his desk and takes a glance around the room, counting the occupants to see if all his detectives are here. I stare coldly out the window as Koenma finally realizes that all of us have arrived for this urgent meeting.

It wasn't that I didn't like the child ruler of the Spirit World, it was that he called me away from the Demon World, probably to assign me to another case. That and I truly hate all his bloody innards for still dragging me in to help with Yusuke's cases, even when I finished my sentence and "community service projects" over three years ago. I've finished the time I was required to serve out for my crime, and I do not see why I keep coming back to help every time I am called.

A little voice from somewhere behind my emotional wall tries to answer my question, but I drown it out with silence so I don't have to listen to it's answer about me and my emotional barriers. Whatever the voice will try to persuade me to believe will make me weaker, and to be emotionally weak would get me killed within a few days in the Demon World. I don't want to listen to that voice. I can't listen to that voice. I won't listen to that voice…

"I know you are all wondering why I called you here," Koenma starts thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair for attain a more comfortable position.

Even from across the room, I can tell Yusuke is slightly aggravated by yet again being called to save the world, and I can't say I blame him when he mutters under his breath that whatever Koenma wants this time better be easier than that last case we had.

Carefully, Koenma starts to explain. "Detectives, a few months ago, it came to my attention that—"

"WE DIDN'T MEAN IT!!! WE SWEAR!!!" Kuwabara shouts, arms flailing and making him appear like the humongous idiot that he is. "IT WAS LATE AND—WE DIDN'T MEAN IT!!!"

Koenma's eyes look about to jump out of their sockets in surprise at the Idiot's outburst, and even looks a little flustered when trying to come up with a response. "I, uh, um… what?"

Kuwabara stops flailing about for a moment, and I guess it runs through his mind that maybe Koenma wasn't quite talking about what he was obviously thinking about. Bashfully and blushing in a quite uncontrollable manner, the Idiot sits down and says a quick apology as Yusuke elbows him in the stomach to be quiet.

Koenma looks suspicious as he continues. "As I was saying, a few months ago it came to my attention that various members of species of Demon World and Eternal Paradise descent have been turning up on the Human Realm Black Market, most of which happen to be female." Here Koenma raises his eyebrows, and I can only guess what he is going to say next: They are being sold as "personal entertainers". "I'll leave it up to you to assume what these females are being sold as." Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara look away in disgust, but I continue to stare at Koenma.

Koenma looks at me in return, and continues, as if he cannot believe I am not affected by the purpose these women are being capture, not doubt bred for. "About four months ago, our sources reported that they had pinpointed where these girls are being sold from, a very popular casino in a city in the Demon World." Koenma chews on his pacifier and rubs his chin before he continues, both habits I find very annoying. "Unfortunately, our first informants disappeared under mysterious causes before they were able to finish researching the owners of this casino. However, it was easy to obtain this information from having another operative visit the casino. This informant did come back with a file worth of information that led me to be even more concerned about this grave situation."

Now, Koenma picks up a thick, bound together notebook that is no doubt the information he was just referring to. He opens the jacket and flips it open to a page with a picture plastered on it.

The man is handsome by both human and demon standards, but I assume that his bark is much worse than his bite. Most of the time it is like this anyway for men who are too into their personal appearance.

"This is Zane Gensou." The name rings a bell as Koenma says it. Searching my mind for information on this shady looking character, it comes to mind that Zane has carved himself out a nitch in the casino industry in the Demon Realm. He trusts all the demons that come into his casino until he finds them cheating, which makes his establishment extremely popular. He makes millions of dollars in precious gems and metals a day, more than the average demon casino. The facts continue coming, but Koenma continues to talk so my thoughts are cut off for a moment while I listen. "He owns the Shattered Glass Casino." That, too, rings a bell.

At this point, I notice Kurama's face darken for a moment. Perhaps he, too, is remembering things from his past as I am from mine. It is true that I have visited the Shattered Glass on a few occasions as I passed through that town, but I never could get away with much when I tried to rob that casino. The security was very good at the time, and I could never see the guards. It was as if they were invisible.

Kurama speaks slowly, as if trying to stay focused on the meeting, and not something else. "Koenma, what is it exactly that you want us to do for you?"

Koenma closes the file, and leans back in his chair again. "I will not lie to you. When my last informant came back and refused to go again for another round of reconnaissance, I became worried. I realized that it would be beyond my ability to assign someone from the Spirit World to continue to observe the happenings of Zane's casino and underground racket. It is against the rules for me tell a spirit detective to assume this duty for over two weeks, the average time for a reconnaissance mission." Koenma stops to chew on his pacifier again.

Yusuke looks thoughtful before responding. "What are you trying to say Koenma?"

Koenma sighs and his shoulders slump heavily. "I hired a freelancer."

A collective intake of breath in the room makes Koenma look even more uneasy. "I know this has not been done for at least five hundred years, but at that point there was no other option. This freelancer agreed to go undercover and infiltrate Zane's casino, using any and every means available to them—something that a spirit detective cannot do. In return for this operative's services, I promised to reward them with a handsome prize."

The silence that follows this statement is even worse that the noise that proceeded it.

Kuwabara is the first one to speak, surprising in my eyes for he is the most stupid. "Koenma, is it really true that this guy is selling girls as slaves?" When Koenma nods in return, the Idiot continues. "Then I think we should get started as soon as possible."

Yusuke nods grimly. "As much as it pains me to agree with Kuwabara, I have to agree. Kuwabara's right, we have to stop this guy."

Kurama nods in a silent agreement, and then all the attention is on me. Four pairs of eyes stare at me, wondering if I will accept or reject this case's moral interest, or if I will reject this and continue only because Koenma orders me to.

For a moment, it's kind of unnerving. I don't know quite what to think. This kind of activity happens in the Demon World all the time. I've gotten used to it over the years, and have no ethical objection to its practice. But… I don't know. If Yukina was captured, I would be on a rampage to save her and slaughter her captors.

I close my eyes, and lean against the wall.

They must take this as me agreeing to help them because Koenma starts talking again. "Then it is settled. I'll give you to weeks to look over the file and come up with a game plan. When that two weeks is over, I'll get a transport for you to the Demon World so you can hopefully finish this once and for all. Now, are there any questions before I let you go?"

Yusuke leans forward in his chair and rests his chin on his hand before asking his question. "This freelancer, how will we know it's him when you see him?"

Koenma's eyes shoot open. "You are NOT to approach this freelancer unless they initiate the contact. This particular freelancer assures me that their work is excellent and done with finesse. They have asked me to tell you that they can handle it on their own. If contact is unavoidable, react to them as you would a stranger. Introduce yourself, make small talk. Then you can figure out what needs to be done from there, if necessary."

Kurama clears his throat and looks curious. "And what of Daja? Will she be helping us on this case?"

My eyes open as I watch Koenma for an answer. Koenma looks thoughtful for a moment, and he answers carefully. "As a spirit detective, I couldn't send her out to do a job that in the past has been hard for her. She has done enough on this case already as a member of the spirit detective team."

"How so, Koenma?" Kurama responds thoughtfully, as if he couldn't quite understand the previous statement.

Koenma smiles a moment before picking up the thick notebook of information on Zane Gensou. "Daja went through all the notes on Zane Gensou, his casino, and his dirty racket and made this case file. As you can see, her summaries are long, extensive, and undoubtedly filled with words to confuse you on purpose. But, I've looked over her work, and it is very good. Every possible bit of information of the previous two official reconnaissance missions is in this notebook, as well as the unofficial information. Don't lose it or mess it up, A) because we need it on file in the Filing Archives downstairs when your finished, and B) because Daja will probably be pissed that you ruined it."

This gets Kurama, Yusuke, and the Idiot to chuckle as they imagine Daja probably trying to kick their asses mercilessly for ruining her painstakingly long work. I can only imagine how long it took to assemble a file that big, and write summaries for it. She has patience for things I do not.

"Alright. Well, if that's all your questions, then I'll let you go. See you intwo weeks then, I'll have Botan keep you posted on developments if any occur."

I start to leave when…

"Hiei, I'd like to have a word with you before you leave."

Dammit.

I turn around and Koenma waits for everybodyelse to leavebefore motioning me to sit down. Hesitantly, almost coldly, I sit down in the chair in front of his desk, remaining silent as I do so.

"Hiei, I need you to work to your full potential on this one, and I couldn't help but to notice earlier that you didn't seem phased by the racket Zane Gensou has created for himself."

Somewhat frostily, I reply as I meet his brown eyes with my red ones. "What is it your exactly trying to get at."

Koenma isn't phased. "I know that you dislike being taken away from your work in the Demon World, but this is important. The other detectives need your skills to make this work. I want you to stay in the Human World and help with designing the plan to take Zane's Empire down. That doesn't mean I want you to plan it all out yourself," he assures me, "but you do need to be a part of this as well. Stay with somebody, like Yusuke, or Kurama, or even stay in that apartment that I have for when Botan and Daja are on leave to the Human World."

Koenma waits for me to answer, and I think this over. It is obvious that Koenma was trying to flatter me into helping, but it wont work, not on me. But he does have a point, they will try something incredibly stupid the second I leave, and I'll get blamed for letting them die. I hate that that is the only reason I'm going to help this time, but I guess it's the only good one I can think of.I nod and Koenma smiles.

"Good. Thanks for coming, we weren't sure if you were going to show or not. Now that that's settled, I'll see you in two weeks."

Yeah, I mumble irately as I close the door behind me and feel a headache coming on, two weeks of being with the Idiot and company. This is going to be "good."

* * *

**_SatoriSama: _**Alright, since my beginning intro thing was so long, I've decided just to end with a thought today because now its 1:32 (central time) and I'm about to fall asleep at the keyboard. With my sword of ancient power, this is Satori, signing out.

_Song o' the review thingy:_

We were meant to **REVIEW** for so much more, have we lost ourselves? Somewhere, we **REVIEW** inside, somewhere we **REVIEW** inside….


	19. Part IV Chapter 19: Asphyxiation

_**SatoriSama:**_ Alright, this is a short chapter, but I'm only again setting up the next few chapters. I hope you like it, because I reveal what Kurama was thinking about during the meeting. Anyway, I don't really have anything else to say, so… yeah…

_Reviewers:_

_Venusgreenight: VIVA LA REVOLUTION!!!_

_Painfulxrecovery: _I'm sorry you found the last chapter boring, and I HOPE you don't find this one boring. Once they are in the city, things are going to heat up.

_Sillylittlenothing: _THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I'm happy that you enjoyed the way I tell my story. It was sorta strange hearing that I'm doing something different by switching pov's in the middle of chapters. I don't think I can tell it any other way. And about Kuwa-kun (he and I are pals now I guess, we both get ignored at least), I just cant figure him out enough to try to tell the story from his pov. Ah, anyway….

_IntoTheWakingDawn: _Thanks you so much for being open minded enough to give my story a chance. YOU ROCK!!! Do continue to rock because the world need to continue to shake.

_Veronica:_ Fanfic is what gets me through the week as well, and I am glad I was able to do that for you too. I hate school, so, yeah… THANKS!!!

* * *

_**Chapter Nineteen: Asphyxiation**_

**_Yusuke_**: I scan the thick, guarded stonewall with interest. It is built in a way to keep unwanted demons out, and everyone else inside the protective wall. Guards sort though demons wanting to enter the city, sending the rejected back into the night, and the accepted into the glittering nightlife of the city.

I sigh. You would think waiting in line would be at least be somewhat entertaining. You know, with so many people getting rejected and all.

The line moves forward.

I can't believe that this is the best plan we could think up. To wait in line, and make it look like we're tourists. Kuwabara sighs and gives me that "you're dead" look he has, and I answer with one of my own signature looks, the "back off or I'll hurt you" look. Kuwabara quickly turns around, and out of the corner of my eye, I see…. Did Hiei just smirk? Now life is complete. Not.

I wonder if I can get him to do it again. I start making up crazy plans to make Hiei look happy for once in his life, when I suddenly realize that if I am trying to get Hiei to act like a normal person, then I must really be bored because I'm sure that everybody who knows Hiei knows that for him to be happy is practically impossible. But that doesn't stop us from worrying about him though….

The line moves forward.

* * *

**_Kurama:_** This city…

It has been too long since I've been in this city…

More than twenty years ago… so long ago…

I was still Youko…

Every memory, thought, wish, lust is flooding back… so vague… but familiar…

I was… different… colder…

Her…

Running a hand through my hair, I glance at Hiei. He looks deep in thought, perhaps to remembering his past. I'm sure with his previous occupation, his been in this city of thieves before. I sigh, memories still returning from their dormant places deep within… From the soul I keep inside… the silver fox…

I have heard the stories many storytellers spin in the light of fires of the legendary bandit Youko Kurama. In fact, the entire Demon World seems quite acquainted with my… exploits… So many tales of my thievery, deceit, my trademark arrogance and treachery… the hearts I broke, the homes I destroyed… the lives I took… the souls I stole…

I don't know why this is affecting me so much. I've been in the Demon Realm so many times since I bonded with this human body. In reality, I should not be feeling this… Remembering my past but should not bother me… but…

People have said that I can't even remember the names of all my lovers, that I've had too many I cannot keep count. They were each special, a flower I could pluck from the thorny vine, the scummy place I called home. I never mistreated my lovers, for they had treated me so well in the first place, but the stories tell of my harshness, that I didn't not care for any of them, that I simply used them for their bodies… the pleasure they could give…

It's not true… that's not true…

I remember all of them…

All of them…

She… she was different…

* * *

**_Hiei:_** This city gives off an ominous aura; the Jagan is picking up feelings of which I mostly cannot identify with: hostile feelings, trusting feelings, caring feelings… lustful feelings…

My mission is clear. I am to assist Yusuke in anyway I am needed. My goal is to ultimately aid in the successful retrieval of one Zane Gensou. I have pored over the file many times, studied all the charts, strategies, the floor plans, the handwritten notes in the margins of every page…

I have everything I need in order to complete this mission sucessfully, but why… why do I feel like I have left something behind…

Those handwritten notes…

Daja wrote about her experiences in this town, how the Vaev'shaj keep to themselves, how the abandoned buildings can make average hideouts, how the walls are too thick to break through and too tall the scale without a guard noticing, how to navigate the long alleys easily, how to leave a trail only you and those you trust can follow. She wrote about Zane Gensou's special guard force, their special abilities, the way they operate, the way they tortured their captives for information… She didn't explain how she knew these things, but the rough, yet surprisingly neat handwriting kept on giving advice. How to keep tabs on more than one person at a time without using the Jagan eye, how to cheat at card games without getting caught, how to spike a drink without getting noticed, how to blend into a crowd effortlessly, how to… the notes go on and on.

I stare at the sky for a moment, and then look back at the wall. Daja is right, it would be hard to pass over or through that wall without anyone noticing.

Yusuke and Kuwabara did not seem all that interested in the thick notebook Daja assembled for the case. They only read what was necessary, and they ignored everything else, everything Daja wrote for us and intended for us to read.

I have read the entire notebook many times, but still the simplest of her remarks riddle me to no end. "The mirror doesn't only have one reflection." What mirror was she referring to as she wrote this? Was she even thinking straight when she wrote some of these notes in the margins? Were they simply a means to confuse me, to puzzle me? Were they a game she could play, where I was the pawn and she was the player?

As hard as I try to believe that Daja's intentions were merely on a level to get us through a tough case, I can't help but to deep down think that somehow, this case means something more to her.

Something she will only share in riddles…

Those handwritten notes…

The closer to the city we come, the more emotions the Jagan picks up, and right now, an asphyxiating sense of foreboding is flooding over me, a feeling I have no problem identifying with.

* * *

**_SatoriSama_**: Not much of an ending thought… BUT, for all of you who are wondering what the Vaev'shaj are, the answers are coming…. (ooo, the suspense!!!). And for you people that miss Daja's ridiculing and thoughtful presence, she _will _play an important role in this case, you'll just have to tune in next time to see. _Warning, contents under extreme pressure and are prone to spontaneous combustion_, SatoriSama signing out.

_Song o' the Review thingy: _

This may never start tearing out my heart… and I'd be you **_REVEIWER_**!!! Lost your sense of fear, feelings disappear… can I be your **_REVEIWER_**!?!


	20. Part IV Chapter 20: Bound in Blue Leath...

_**SatoriSama:**_ Not much of a beginning thought, but, yeah… So here is the return of the famous "dream sequence" and stuff… Blah blah blah… teenage mutant ninja sophomores, blah blah…and now to the reviewers!!! HUZZAH!!!

_Da'bomb peeps:_

_Spork: _As always, thanks!!!

_Kitsune Kit: _Beautifully Crafted? LOL, I wouldn't say that, but thanks!!! I am starting to read your stories, and so far, what I see I like.THANKS!!!

_PainfulxRecovery:_ Kurama is talking about somebody is his past. YOU"LL SEE (giggles)!! About my ending note, I was washing clothes and I was reading the warning label on my wash machine, and I went whoa. This can spontaneously explode, and then I was like, my life is like the washing machine, always under pressure to make things perfect again. THANKS!!!

_Sesshys Punk Gurl: _Daja is quite the character, if you know what I mean (wink wink). But I do know what's going to happen, and it's within Part IV, so… yeah… THANKS!!! By the way, are you an Inu-Yasha fan?

_IntoTheWakingDawn:_ O.o? I was your first shout out? That… is… so… COOL!!! And here's another for yah!!! THANKS!!!

_Rahasia:_ THANKS! 'bout the portrayal of the story, I felt as if I should bring up the fact that not only Daja has a skeleton or two in the closet. Its sorta strange, but it works… so… yeah…

_Baka Hanyou Rahvin_: Hanyou!?! OOO!!! Very nice, are you an Inu-Yasha fan maybe too? That wasn't quite relevant to T&T, but… yeah…

_Poppy:_ DUN DUN DUN!!!! (the suspense)!!! Anyway, THANKS!!!

_**

* * *

**_

Chapter 20: Bound in Blue Leather

**_Daja:_**

**Daja's Dream Sequence:**

_My eyes… they hurt from the bright, colorless light around me… so white…_

_Where am I?_

_My hands are so cold… I can't move them… _

_Come on, Daja girl, you can find your way out of this white maze. You've done it before, you can do it again…_

_Darkness, swirling with the white, now gray…_

_Pick up the pace, something's wrong…_

_Get going, don't stay here…_

_RUN!!!_

_They're… They're following me… _

_No, I don't want to run any more… I wont..._

_I wont run any more… _

_The steal edge gleams in the bright light._

_Cant... look… directly… at… it…_

_No… wait, they've stopped… _

_My hands are so cold, the numbness spreading to my arms… _

_Keep going, get out of this place. Get somewhere safe…_

_I can't feel my limbs…_

_No… where's the light… I can't see…_

_But I can… what… what is this magic?_

_Blazing, a flame… the fire… _

_These flames play with the shadows… _

_Warmth…_

_A mirror? What is a mirror doing here? _

_So smooth, smoother than glass… like the surface of a lake…_

_Rain from above… the fire will go out…_

_CRASH!!! _

_NO, THEY ARE HERE!!!_

_I won't… let them…_

_STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!_

_I feel my body change… no… I wont become that murderer again… _

_Green eyes… _

_Blood everywhere… _

_AHHH!!! My stomach… no… so much… so much… blood…_

_Is this the end…_

_The monster grows and sends a small beam of energy at the fire…_

_No… _

_The fire shrinks as it turns an acidy green and dies out…_

_No… _

_It's picking me up…my neck… _

_CRACK!!! _

_So… SO MUCH PAIN!!! _

_My body… I can't move my body…_

_The monstrosity smirks and throws me away… away towards the mirror…_

_Glass pierces my back… blood rushes down and gathers around me in a puddle on the floor…_

_So hard to breathe…_

_The embers of the once great fire die out…_

**End of Dream Sequence.**

I wake up not feeling refreshed as I should have after a long rest like I have just had. I feel surprisingly calm, almost too calm after having such a dream as I just had. I rub my eyes and block out the room around me. This night cannot possibly get any worse.

Every night for the last few weeks, the same dream. The same light, the same fire, the same mirror, the same monsters… the same pain... But why? What are these nightmares trying to tell me?

Opening my eyes, I look around the darkened filing room with its tall bookcase like shelves. My prison…

Sighing, I slowly lift myself up off the makeshift cot I set up in the corner of the room behind the small, sturdy wooden desk. Cold sweat has formed in beads on my back and arms, and the cool air of the room is not helping me warm up any faster, so I quickly snatch up my light, floor length black coat with its polished fastenings that glisten even with the lack of light in the filing room. It's new, so the sleeves and the liner aren't worn down yet, but I wish for my old, trustworthy cloak, with its ratty, frayed sleeves and its crumbling, thick liner. The safety it once provided me with is once again greatly needed.

The thick file on the desk is open, the contents spread out on the desk in a messy pile that is somewhat organized. The thick, blue leather-bound book is propped open with an index card marking a page covered with hundreds of intricate symbols in lines across the pages. Symbols so ancient, that many have forgotten. Yet… I have not.

I gaze at the book, the symbols registering lazily as words while my eyes continue to adjust to the darkness. Sitting down at the desk, I find the papers I was examining before I decided that I might as well sleep and get the dream over with. I continue where I left off earlier.

"The Vaev'shaj, pronounced vauve/sage, are as old as the demon world itself. They are not specifically one species of demon, but actually comprised of many varieties. Each member of a Vaev'shaj court or fold worships the artistic, the beautiful, the sensual aspects of the world. Each is a master of song, dance, or both, and is able to weave magic into each word and step. Though the Vaev'shaj are perhaps the most tolerant of the demons clans, humans are rarely accepted into their folds and courts.

"It is common fro the Vaev'shaj to band into groups, more globaly known as "folds" or "courts", in order to protect themselves from the harsh world around them. Since their language is as old as themselves are and is also quite the code to translate, much of what the Vaev'shaj learn and their history is a secret to even the most learned of scholars. Some of the historical writings found in abandoned courts and folds has been translated into the common languages of the Demon World, however, the riddles in which the knowledge is written is perhaps as confusing as the language it self to decipher."

Leaning over the blue covered book, I can only imagine what kind of demon was skinned in order to get the beautifully leather cover to bind the book with. Putting my finger on the uppermost, rightmost character, I begin to decipher the words running over the paper to the left page in straight lines, but my mind already knows what the book is about.

This book is known as the Chronicles of a Death Songtress, one of the more important books to the Vaev'shaj. How do I know about this book, let alone know how to read its complicated symbols and characters? Well, the answer is simple. I was in love with one of them.

The Vaev'shaj were kind to me when Damien brought me to the fold for the first time, trusting both his people and I to accept each others faults and find strength in each others fortes. We had already left Willow, Evander, and Archimedes, in favor for a better life, a freer life. We stayed with his fold, and I learned of their strange habits, their customs, their language, their way of life.

When I close my eyes, I can still picture Damien's fold's leader. A Vaev'shaj leader is almost always female, her powers of song, dance, seduction, and destruction surpassed by none in her court. She had long black hair streaked with gold, her eyes a deep ambery, gold color that was both orange with flecks of gold, but many shades from either color. She was a good deal taller than me, but shorter than Damien, perhaps five foot six inches? She wore reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows that set off her olive colored skin easily and with a certain flair that only the Vaev'shaj can accomplish..

The way she moved made it obvious that she was born and raised a Vaev'shaj women; she seemed to float, but slink, she seemed to weave magic into every step to make it appear as if she was dancing when she was not.

How I wished to be as beautiful as her…

My thoughts snap back to reality as something in my pocket vibrates against my thigh. Fumbling with the small, round communication mirror, I open it a see Koenma's face.

"Daja. I have to ask of you a favor."

"Oh no. Not again. I've already helped out enough with this case. I won't contact another old acquaintance to do more work for you." I say coldly, my eyes making the tired transition to a vivid green.

Koenma straightens in the chair, and looks almost thoughtful. "No, this is about something else. As you know, I spend all day pushing the papers that you file every afternoon. Today, Botan urged me to use some of the years worth of 'vacation' time I have 'stored up', and I decided to accept her proposal."

I raise my eyebrow to a simple arch that is both questioning and somewhat naughty looking at the same time.

"I get the picture." I commentasKoenma's face gets flustered around the edges and I smirk. Just the effect I was going for. It crossed my mind quite along time ago that perhaps those two's relationship was a little more complicated than just Prince and Soul Reaper.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Koenma continues. "George will be taking care of my work by stacking and organizing all my hard copy files. For Botan, however, to replace her for a few days could be challenging."

I cross my arms and lean backwards into the wooden chair. "I know where this is going. You want me to 'baby-sit' the detectives while they are on their case by being the one who answers the phone when they call, don't you?"

"Botan was the one who suggested you."

I sigh.

"This is not a choice, Daja. You _will _be the reference person the detectives will have rely on if they have any questions or need information since you are the first person I think of when somebody says the Zane Gensou case. You did assemble the notebook, after all, and by the way, Kurama sent his thanks to you for that. He said it was quite helpful to him."

Leaning forwards to emphasize my point, I ask. "One last question before you leave."

Koenma nods. "I take that you have accepted this new job, so you may go ahead."

"How in all hells did you get your father to agree with this spur of the moment trip?"

Koenma laughs. "My father has been doing this same thing for years. If he gets mad at me, I guess I'll take a leaf out of your book and retaliate like you did with those papers a few months back." When I give him a fake hurt look, he smiles and pretends to explain the situation I have an intimate knowledge of myself since I was the criminal, if not slightly crazy mind behind the little scheme. "You know the one where those important documents 'spontaneously' combusted. Need I say more?"

I shrug nonchalantly. "If this is what you want me to do, I'll do it. It's not like I have a choice."

"I'm glad you think about it that way. I'll see you when I return." He pauses. "Daja, please. Don't pretend this is nothing. I—"

"Understood."

I close the mirror, and replace it in my pocket. Vacation? What the hell? You have to be kidding me. At least I make an impression on the little guy; he's beginning to stand up to his father, even if it is in a small way. I guess that's kind of cool, but still…

I say out loud to no one in particular, just as I way to vent out all these unfamiliar feelings that are suddenly flooding my soul. "You have got to be kidding me. First the file, and now the case? What's next, is he gonna make me a flippin' reaper too? "

Make my way to the cot and groan into the pillow after I collapse on it. This is a dream, just a horrible dream. Now, not only am I responsible for the information the detectives are using, but if they die, it's my fault too. Just watch, some crucial piece of information if missing, and, oh no, they mess up and die. I can't be responsible for another man's death… I don't think I could handle it. The girl behind blues eyes would never come back if that happened…

I roll over and stare at the ceiling. After my dream, I thought the night couldn't get any worse. Well, I guess you could say that I was definitely wrong about that one.

**_

* * *

SatoriSama: All right, how was that? I know this "vacation" thing is a little strange, but that will also make sense if it doesn't make sense right now. In other news, I'm performing in my high school's sophomore one act, and that's why this chapter took so long. I was at school till six every day this past week for rehearsals. But no worries, it's all good._**

_If this product is ingested, contact your local poison control and remember to sound panicked, _SatoriSama signing out.

(I've decided to no longer do the **REVIEW** song o' the chapter in favor of my new and improving ending notes. I know, I know, I can't cope with the loss either. They (sniffle) just grow up so fast (hiccup)! )


	21. Part IV Chapter 21: High Roller

**_SatoriSama: _**Hey y'all! _(Insert generic authors note here, but with a lemony twist. And sugar, don't forget the sugar. You know I love them lemonades.)_

_We started as strangers, now we are friends. (I hope! )_

_Venusgreenight: _ZZZZZ…. American idol, my patoot.

_LivingImpared:_ Thanks again!

_Kitsune Kit_: The second half of this is sort of hopeful with everyone's favorite uncouple, but there is another subplot going on, so just pay attention. Other than that, YES! They will get together or make a move by the end of part IV! I am very excited.

_PainfulxRecovery:_ Thanks for the luck; the show went off without a hitch! Here's another chapter, and the appearance of a very important person.

_IntoTheWakingDawn_: Thanks, and don't worry, the vacation will make up sense. Eventually. Maybe…

_Spork:_ AWESOME! LOOOOOONG REVIEW… well sort of… anyway… lol! I loved your ps's. And I hoped somebody would like Kurama's secret girlie! Anyway, that comes into play soon as well. And no, nothing goes according to plan. Ever.

SeikaFushichou: LOL! Nice, Jewels, Nice. J/K. Seeyah soon.

_BakaHanyouRahvin:_ BINGO YOU WIN THE PRIZE! Man I just sounded like Botan. Ack. Thanks on Daja's personality thing; you're the first to comment on that! Anyway, I'm thinking about going into why she is like that in the next part (part V), but I dunno. Got to deal with everyone's favorite uncouple, and now Kurama-kun's women now too. THANKS!

_STINEY, GET ME A CHAPTER!

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_

_**Chapter 21: High Roller**_

**_Kuwabara:_** The smooth, feminine voice cheerily greets us from behind the beautiful mahogany registration desk. "Welcome to the Shattered Glass Casino. Do you have reserva-huh?" Her red fox ears swivel directly at us, her long, silky red tail draped over her lap twitches momentarily. Her deep, hazely brown eyes seem to melt at the sight of us, and her already stunning, white smile widens to an even more gorgeous width, but she isn't as pretty as my Yukina. Nope. She just… isn't. I can't explain it, but she isn't.

"Just a moment, please." She says flirtatiously as she picks up her phone and dials a room number. For a second, her voice drops and speaks in a strange foreign tongue. She nods a few times and smiles, just listening to the other person on the phone. This is starting to irritate me. Demons just don't have any manners.

She hangs up, and I notice her nametag. '_Reina', _perhaps meaning 'the sound of jewels'? Doesn't make sense to me, like most demons I know. I purposely ignore the short one standing next to Kurama and behind me. Hiei gives me an annoyed look, and I choose to just turn away. This is not the place to go at it with him. I've got to save all the women from certain doom. I am going to be a hero…

"I'm sorry for the interruption." She smiles. "Welcome to the Shattered Glass Casino. We had no idea that guests of your caliber were planning on visiting our lowly establishment." She stands up and walks around the desk, her short skirt showing long, tanned legs. She looks confident, but her nervously swinging foxtail gives her away. "My name is Reina. If you will follow me, I will show you to your room."

Yusuke stops for a second, and then I stop too, also confused by this skanky receptionist.

He looks suspicious. "What do you mean by 'your' room?"

Reina turns around and her ears swivel to take in the sounds coming from behind and in front of her. "We couldn't possibly let you stay in a normal, public room. For the infamous Urameshi team, who won the Dark Tournament two years in a row, we have a high roller suite being prepared for you as we speak. Now if you will please follow me." She begins to motion to a bellboy to take our few bags, but Kurama silences her with a wave.

She blushes uncontrollably and mutters an apology. "I'm very sorry, forgive my forwardness." She presses a button on the wall, and the elevator doors open. She steps in and we follow. She opens a panel and pushes a series of buttons: 0, 8, 1, 3, 8, 5, and the enter key. I couldn't see her as she dialed them, but I'm almost positive that was the number sequence.

The elevator zooms upward, and a few seconds later the door opens revealing a lavishly decorated hallway, ending with an even more ornate door. Sweet.

She takes out a swipe card and puts it in the lock on the door, her ears towards us at an alert position. The little red light turns green, and I can tell the lock is now unlocked. Reina pushes to door open to reveal a set of stairs leading up from the entry hall to a balcony over looking the suite's 'mud room' or 'foyer'.

Almost immediately after stepping into the room, that tickly feeling I get sometimes when something bad is going to happen, you know the one I'm talking about? Well, I've got it about a zillion times worse than I've ever gotten it. I mean, it's like I've been in a deep freeze freezer for a few hours, and now I'm in an oven and needles are poking all over my body, especially my eyes for some strange and really un-cool reason.

So now, after practicing this odd mental torture on me, the feeling zeros in on the man who is standing at the top of the stairs. He has black tennis shoes with black laces on, his black bondage pants are sewn with purple thread, his chained belt scares me a lot, he has a button down dress shirt on under a dark purple t-shirt with a strange symbol I've never seen before, his wrist has a spiked wristband and a black band that resembles a Live Strong bracelet, he's got a strange silver symbol around his neck to that has been inlaid with black Makai crystals (talk about your bling bling considering just one small Makai crystal is way beyond what I can afford, and that's not even getting into the color of the gem), some earrings in his ears, square black plastic framed glasses on his nose, eyes lined with black makeup (what a weirdo), and his obnoxiously red hair spiked in a way that defies all laws of gravity I know of (not even Hiei's hair is that spiky).

"Hello, you must be the infamous Urameshi team. I'm glad that you have chosen to stay with us." He starts to walk down the stairs, his chains jingling all the way. The feeling intensifies the closer this gothic looking guy gets. "I hope you find your accommodations acceptable. We prepared it on such short notice, so if you need anything," he motions to Reina, "feel free to call the front desk and ask for Reina. She has been instructed to do anything in her power to make you more comfortable. There are four separate bedrooms upstairs, each with a full bath. To your left is a full kitchen and dining area with a stocked pantry, although you if you prefer, you can call room service and they will bring something up for you to dine on. To your right is an all-purpose relaxing room with a well-stocked wet bar, entertainment system, and the most comfortable of furniture. I tested each myself, if that is any inclination at all. If you need anything, please feel free to ask us. Here at the Shattered Glass, we strive to provide the best of service to our guests. Enjoy your stay."

The gothic guy begins to walk towards the door, passing between Yusuke and I. His shoulder brushes against my arm, and an intense feeling of evil washes over me like scalding water boiling the skin off my bones.

Yusuke makes a face at me when I freeze up, asking me if something is wrong. When I barely nod my head, he goes off in his detective mode. "What was your name again, I didn't catch it."

The red haired man stops and turns around, giving us a smile that seems to be genuine and happy. "Oh, I must have forgotten to mention it. Forgive my manners, I should really know better, after all." Laughing good-naturedly at himself, he reaches out a hand to shake Yusuke's. "My name is Zane Gensou."

* * *

**_Hiei:_** It wasn't that I had not expected this case to go quickly, for I was sure it would only take a week at the most to bring down Zane Gensou. But after only arriving less then a few hours ago, I had already stared straight into the striking face of my very enemy, the man I have been assigned to capture or kill, which ever came first.

Zane's purple eyes had seemed trustworthy, almost kind, and if I wasn't any the wiser, I would say he has done nothing wrong. He seems to be an honest thief, someone I could consider for an ally.

His aura was strange, almost disproportionate to his rank as a lower S class demon. It's almost too small for the stories about him. It almost reminds me of Daja's aura when she's fighting. Her aura shrinks and swells depending on the situation, but never releases it self. Except… except for that one time she was protecting us, when she refused to die… her aura didn't just expand, it had exploded, wiping out not only the life of her opponent, but destroying the stone structures around her, even the natural steep cliffs. It still amazes me every time I think about it.

But I can't think about that now… I'm on a case. I can't be distracted by anything… especially by her… I…. I won't…

"So, what do you guys want to do first? Check out the 'suites' upstairs, or raid the fridge? It's your call." Yusuke says good-naturedly leaning up against the ornate railing of the staircase. Zane and Reina left maybe five minutes ago, and now that the coast was clear, it was time to settle in to our temporary base.

"Dude, I don't like this at all." Kuwabara says darkly, clutching his bag for dear life, or if it was the last one in the realm. I can't really decide what it looks like more.

Before I know what I am doing, words are pouring out of my mouth. "You weakling. I bet you get that tickly feeling when you look in the mirror because your face baffles you." I remark, crossing my arms across my chest in a scorning matter. Kuwabara's face immediately falls, and he looks at the beautiful marble floor, a subtle tint of red visual on his face.

Something in my chest tightens for a second, but I force the feeling away and smirk evilly, my fangs protruding slightly onto my lips, and small, dark hair on the nape of my neck bristles and stands on end. The Jagan trying to open by tightening the muscles attached to the eyelids, but that is only a formality at this point.

"Knock it off, Hiei." Yusuke says threateningly, and he turns to go upstairs. "Come on Kuwabara, let's get first dibs on the rooms."

Kuwabara grabs his bag and starts up the stair somberly. What a weakling.After they both pick their own rooms, Kurama clears his throat. What an annoying habit. "Hiei, that was wrong and you know it."

I look up at the redhead. "Heh, what do you care, fox? Don't tell me you actually care for those Humans who call us teammates." Kurama's face darkens as I continue, lowering my voice to a threateningly quiet tone. "You know as well as I that the minute we lose favor with Koenma, they will lynch us."

Kurama sets his bags down angrily and is about to shout at me when his face suddenly becomes calm, but his turbulent green eyes give him away. "At least I know where I stand with them," is all he says before turning around and exited the suite, elevator doors closing behind him.

Damn it.

I wander into the kitchen aimlessly, and look out the windows near the dark wood table. The booming rain clouds pouring out torrents onto the city, obscuring light from the nearly full moon. The water splashes against the window heavily, as if trying to break it into pieces…

Daja…

I force her away from my thoughts… but…

Foreboding senses in my dreams tell me that something is going to happen soon, and it bothers me. It bothers me that I know that I won't be able to prevent what is going to happen. And it pulls at something in my chest… it feels… different…

What are these… these… feelings?

The rain continues to fall outside, oblivious to the thriving city nightlife below.

* * *

**_SatoriSama: _**Hey again. I've got some homework, so I must be quick. (FYI: Homework is why I usually don't update till Fridays, but thought, hey, I don't really want to do my homework tonight, so… yeah). Did you like it. I tried from Kuwa-kun's POV for the second time ever, so please tell me what you think. I tried to pick up on useless things Kuwabara might notice, like the keypad numbers. And Hiei, well… let's just say things are going to get interesting for him soon. (Smiles demonically). Anyway, hoped you liked it. _Remember, hairspray is VERY flammable; trust me on this one_, SatoriSama signing out. 


	22. Part IV Chapter 22: Total Eclipse

_**SatoriSama:**_ Alright, this might not make sense to you, but in the next few chapters it will. I'll leave it to you to find out whats happening. If Kurama sound depressed and somewhat insane, it's because he has suddenly found something he thought her had lost, and she is not happy. At all.

_You the Bomb, Yo:_

_Kitsune Kit:_ O.o! OMG! I'm gonna have to try this boxer/roller skate Barbie/hairspray thing. VERY COOL! As always, thanks, and please tell me if this chapter is mary-suey or cliché. And about Hiei and Daja: I'd um, like to clarify. NOT A MOVIE! MOVE! (twitches because of perverted thoughts). LOL. Thanks.

_LivingImpared:_ As always, I give you my thanks for you continuing support of my fiction.

_Venusgreenight:_ You are the worst conversationalist. Ever. LOL

_Spork:_ LOL. Very nice. Thanks for your awesome support.

_PainfulxRecovery:_ I know about the high school thing. I've got like 6 projects due in the next three weeks. Good luck with second semester. Thanks many times!

_**Bring on the chapter!**_

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_**Chapter 22: Total Eclipse**_

**_Kurama:_** The sign says Lunar Eclipse, but the neon tubes sputter and falter as if some unseen wind was torturing the bright light inside. Slowly but surely, a few of the letters flicker out, leaving a fairly coded message in its wake. The dark black doors inlaid with mirrors reveal nothing about this gathering place inside to me, but the smell of smoke and alcohol tell another story.

I push open the door and slip in, few of the occupants noticing me as I do. Those that do either return to what they are doing, or they stare at me for a few good seconds with awe. The males tend to do the former, and the females the latter.

The Lunar Eclipse lounge is set up differently than most bars in the demon world. The bar is against the back wall and set up in such a way that only two demons have to work it in order for the whole room to be serviced. Against the opposite wall, is a stage decorated with a simple set and tidied up with deep purple curtains. I suppose they have shows here every night, for quite the crowd has gathered. Between the stage and the bar, tables and small booths fill up the area with half a dozen scantily clad barmaids tending to guests and tables. One of the barmaids looks up at me, her brow lightening slightly as she takes in my appearance.

She approaches me, wiping off her hands on the dishrag tied to her belt. She has long, stormy looking, dark plum colored hair, cobalt colored eyes, and gentle looking ears that came to a point at the tips, but these are not her most striking features. Between her shoulder blades, protruding from her darkly tanned skin of her back were two beautiful feathered wings of purple feathers tipped in blue. They ruffle for a second, then settle back down as she stretches them out behind her, folding gently against her exposed back. But as she did this simple and undoubtedly unconscious action with her wings, something very important came to my attention. The feathers seem thinner than they would have been in any other member of her species, and I make a mental note of why: her primary feathers have been clipped off, probably to keep her from taking to the skies, to keep her from escaping this place. My thoughts fly like the wind to Zane Gensou, and I can't help but to mentally curse him for taking away this girl's only freedom, her gift of flight.

"Hello, and welcome to the Lunar Eclipse. My name is Miyuki." She looks incredibly jovial, but I can tell it's only a front she puts on for the guests. "How can I be of service to you this evening?" She looked almost hopeful, wistful, as if she wanted me to say I wanted her to be my mate. Her left wing twitched a little, and then settled back down in its previous position.

"Thank you Miyuki, but I think I'm just going to sit down at the bar." I say good-naturedly, but her eyes immediately fall, and she nods, saying the spiel she must say to every guest that enters through these doors.

"The bartenders will take care of you when sit down at their counter, but if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask any of the girls for anything. Enjoy your time here."

She started to move away, but I set a hand on her shoulder, my fingers gently brushing against the feathers near where her wings join her back. The feathers ruffle up again, and she stops, her head turning my way quickly, and her eyes questioning.

Quietly, I add trying to lower this girl's sadness to a more manageable level. "I would be honored if you would join me for a drink later."

Her eyes light up with a pure light for a moment, and she is about to reply, before the feeling was cut off, her eyes widen in surprise. She gently removes my hand from her shoulder, and she whispers with a shaky voice. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any more breaks tonight." She squeezes my hand softly, regretfully. "It was a nice thought, thank you… for that."

She turns away and sees that one of her tables needs to be waited on. As she walks, she takes a final look and me and smiles, putting back on her only line of defense, a cheerful demeanor. After that, she turns away, giving her wings one final stretch before getting back to work.

Sighing, I make my way to the bar near the back of the lounge. As I sit myself down on the tall black stool, the bartender makes his way to me, smiling as he finishes drying a tumbler with a cloth.

"My name is Zaviar, and I'll be yer all 'round bartender this ev'ning. What can I get 'chou, gov'ner." He says with a familiar accent that I can't quite place. He sets the tumbler down and leans against the bar.

"Coffee, black." I say in return.

"Sure." He turns around and grabs a mug, filling with the dark liquid from a freshly brewed pot. Looking down the bar, he comments cheerfully. "Yer the only one sit'n here now. Not that I'm ser'prised. The shows starting soon. It's always been an in'trest fer all them sit'n up there in the front rows. Not that I blame them. The shows pretty good, if I do say so meself."

I take a sip of the warm coffee and set the mug down on the table. My kitsune curiosity has reached its peak with all this talk about a show. "What kind of show is it?"

Zaviar laughs and pours himself a cup of some alcohol. "Don't you tell me you've ne'er heard of the Lunar Eclipse girlies now." He laughs and continues. "It's just a ent'rtainment. A few dance numbers, some songs, a little ass. A stand'rd show for a demon casino, I'll bet. But we do 'ave some headliners that are really good at what they do, and 'ave ne'er left this stage. In fact, see that woman over there." He points over my shoulder. "That girl, with the long, yellowy-gold hair. That's Ebony Gouka."

I turn around, and follow Zaviar's finger towards the tables, where a stunningly clad socialite is making her way through the tables, laughing and greeting all the guests like she knew each of them personally. She's tall and thin, well proportioned. She's pretty and she knows it because her dress flaunts all her features shamelessly. Her blonde hair is slightly curled, and is gathered at the back of her head in a ponytail.

"You see 'er? Yep, that's Ebony; she's the stage mistress, she is. She petitioned Zane a few years back, and she got 'er way. She's been here longer than I 'ave, and I 'ave been here for about eight months now." Zaviar looked around suspiciously, then leaned forward confidentially. "Between you an' me, I think she has stayed here so long 'cause she's one o' Zane's favorites. I think he has 'er on call: stage call, help call, booty call, that whole bag, n'way." He leans back and takes a swig of whatever is in his glass. "Or it could be 'cause her tag is too high, if you know what I mean." He raised his glass towards the stage and nodded. "To the success of all the girlies. Mostly 'cause they are the one's I fancy, if you follow me." He winks and downs the rest of his drink.

I nod and watch as Zaviar turns toward the man who sits down a few seats to my right. He walks off and begins to take this demon's order. "Welcome to the Lunar Eclipse. I'm Zaviar, you're bartender to'night. What can I get 'chou sir….."

I stare into the blackness of the coffee and sigh.

A soft hand on my shoulder startles me out of my reverie. "Oh. Why do you sigh? Are you bored, because I can entertain you, if you want."

The person who set their hand on my shoulder sits down next to me gracefully in the stool next to me. Her blonde hair falling seductively down her bare back, and her brown eyes sparkling with excitement. Her lips were a bright red, and her eyelashes a deep black.

I watch as she looked at me appraisingly, her eyes flitting from my feet to my eyes. She sticks her hand out and grasped mine, as if to shake it. "I'm Ebony, and you are?"

"Kurama. It's nice to meet you, Ebony." I release her hand, and she set it on the counter with the other. I watch as she continued to study me. Deciding to be social with this 'Zane's Girl', I ask if she would like to join me for a drink.

"Mmm, thanks, but I can't." She smiles and stands back up. "I have to go make sure everyone is ready for the show. Good bye, Mr. Kurama." She kisses my cheek and walks away, navigating through the tables and to a side door that blends into the wall. I wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't have gone through it.

I turn back to the bar, and touch my cheek softly. It has been so long since anyone has dared to kiss me.

"I see 'chou 'ave met Ebony. Fancy her?" Zaviar says, as he refills my coffee cup.

I look at the cup, and the man down the bar flags Zaviar down.

I take a sip as the lights overhead begin to dim to a soft darkness. Demons behind me start to cheer, and I assume the show is starting. I drink some of the coffee, and lean run a hand through my hair.

As the crowd quiets down, the sounds of spotlights coming to life reaches my ears a fraction of a second before a single voice rises out over the sounds of the crowd. "Come one, come all, come the lowest of low to the annoyingly tall! For now our show is beginning!"

The voice is masculine, and the manner of speech somewhat familiar. He clears his throat with a cough and continues mysteriously. "You've searched for entertainment, and such you have found." His voice rises to just below a shout. "For a show is commencing and the so is the sound!"

He pauses dramatically, and the effect is working. "Tonight the show has altered once more, I've invited a solo girl you praised so highly to the floor. Our stage was without her for naught more than a new moon, but now she returns so to sing us her sweet harmonies, and her spirited tunes."

The voice becomes larger, more grandiloquent, more exuberant with every word her utters. It is clear to me that he was born for a life on the stage. "May I present the one I have vowed, and the one who so close to your hearts is endowed. The dancer of darkness, the songstress of seduction, the one and the only mistress of music, RAYNE!"

Wild applause breaks out behind me, and I focus on the cup of coffee in front of me. Whatever the demons are cheering for cannot be very virtuous. It's probably a female who shows off more of her body than she should. My kitsune side wants to watch the show and clap and cheer like everyone else, but my human soul has more control over its urges than that.

The lights go out totally, save for a few candles on the tables behind me that I can see on the wall. A hush falls over the noisy crowd, who is waiting expectantly for the show. I hear a few grumbling about the lack of entertainment when…

A small explosion of light from behind me signals the performer's appearance, as also does the sounds of catcalls and whistles.

A lone, but incredibly beautiful voice floats dangerously over the crowd towards me. "_Now I will tell you what I've done for you."_

My eyes snap open and my ears are lying to me. They have to be. It can't…

_"50 thousand tears I've cried. Screaming, deceiving, and bleeding for you. And you still won't hear me…"_

That… that voice… I know that voice.

"_Don't want your hand this time I'll save myself. Maybe I'll wake up for once. Not tormented daily defeated by you. Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom"_

No…

_"I'm dying again"_

Slowly I turn around, not wanting to see what I know is going to be behind me. But it is. It's her.

As my eyes travel up to the stage, the kitsune inside me twists and writhes in emotional distress at the sight of the on stage. Her hair is now short and curly, a sexy blonde, but other than that, not much else has changed. Her outfit is red and black, her makeup dark enough for me to see from across the room, her movements still graceful, calm, yet so appealing.

And just as I move to get out of this wretched place, this cursed hotel, this evil casino, she looks back to the bar, her eyes taking in everything. For a moment, she catches my eyes, and stops in mid song, only for a second.

"_I'm going under, drowning in you. I'm falling forever. I've got to break thro—"_

She catches herself and makes up for her mistake. Her eyes immediately return to the crowd near the stage.

"_Through! I'm going under!"_

She is still singing as pay Zaviar and slip out of the bar. I take one last look at her, and find she is looking at me too. She sends a strange look towards me, and my insides go cold with fear. She recognizes me even in this human form, and that also scares me.

The door closes behind me with a small thud as I exit the bar.

"Rayne…" I whisper quietly as I make my way towards the elevators. After getting in, I punch the buttons to get me to our room. "No… It can't be you. Why did you stay here after what happened all those years ago…"

I thought I had left her in my past. I thought she would have left this city after what I did to her. I… I…

After what I did to her all those years, how could she even bear to be in the same building as me?

As the elevator doors slide closed behind me, and I step out into the hallway and near the door to the suite, I come to a depressing conclusion. "Now that she's seen me, there is no escaping her..." After I enter the apartment, I make my way up the stairs, quickly, and enter my room, locking the door behind me.

The rain beats against the window mercilessly and the moon begins to emerge from behind the dark storm clouds as I try to drift into dreamless sleep.

* * *

**_SatoriSama:_** All right. I just had to bring out Kurama's secret woman from his past. If Kurama seems scared of her, he does have just reason to be, so just wait for the next chapter or so to find out what he did to hurt her. Tell me what you thought when you review, cause I was going out on a limb here, and was not sure how this chapter would be accepted. _From the other side of the looking glass,_ SatoriSama signing out. 


	23. Part IV Chapter 23: Atrium

**Satori-Sama**: Hey Everybody! I'M BACK! Giggles Sorry about being absent for so long, and leaving you with such a terrible, terrible ending! Well, I can't promise this one is any better, but please accept my humblest of apologies. School, Project Greenlight, various animes, and a giant boulder of writer's block kept me from finalizing chapter twenty three. I actually wrote this chapter about two and a half times trying to get it right because every time I finished it, the dialogue sounded forced, or the ending was very cliché. Now I'm back in the groove, so I plan on writing more soon! Now to answer some reviews:

**_Cool peeps:_**

**__**_PainfulxRecovery: _I'm sorry about leaving you in a lurch with Kurama! I promise that that will become resolved soon! I hope you like this chapter! 

_Venusgreenight: _Thanks, I loved describing the Lunar Eclipse. I had that in my mind for a long time, I just never got around to using it until now. 

_KitsunKit_: YEAH! No marky-joeness! Typos are just as bad as feedback on speaker systems, and I miss them sometime. Tell me how you like this chapter! 

_BlackSpell:_ Here's my update! And you'll just have to wait and see about Daja. 

_Silent Storm 2000_: So, do you still like me? I haven't updated for awhile, do you forgive me? 

_GothicEmber:_ Thanks! 

_Baka Hanyou Rahvin: _Thanks to you, too! 

_Into the Waking dawn: _Yeah! It worked! Awesome! Daja is getting involved in the chapter after this one, just to let you know. 

_LivingImpared: _Here's a new chappie for you! 

_DolphinGirl132173: _Thanks! 

_OneNightOneDream:_Thanks for your support! I'm glad you came back to this story and gave it another shot! 

_Destrona: _Thanks for your grammar support! I still think I have horrible grammar though. 

_SweetKissOfChaos: _Thanks! I love writing about Daja, and her misadventures with the detective crew. I know it's been awhile, but I'm back! 

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Chapter 23: Atrium**_

**Botan: **Silence.

Silence is a strange thing. It can be peaceful, vengeful, scorning, reverent. It can be as soft as a rose petal, or as harsh as a cold, icy wind from the north. It can be a quiet as a tranquil pond, or as loud as a roaring dragon.

Silence is what I was brought up to know; it is what I know of the afterlife, of my life. Yet that doesn't mean that I like it. It's too… empty.

I look down at my plate in a quiet way, almost wishing for Koenma to break the silence before I do. I don't know what to say if he should not come up with a topic. Should I be general with my words, or should I speak about what's on my mind. That topic that remains unspoken.

I'm awful silly, I know, since I've know Koenma since I was a mere adolescent learning how palace life really felt. I'd always known how to ferry souls. My mother and elder sisters had been reapers before I had even been born. It's in my genes, you could say. I've learned how to ride a hand-me-down oar before I even had my own. My sisters said I learned fast, my mother said I was gifted, and they were all proud of my talents. When my mother finally decided to move to the Imperial Palace so that we would all have an easier time getting to work, I was scared. My sisters told me of the King and how demanding he was. About how he could be cruel, yet somehow fair at the same time. I was scared when I sat outside he office for the first time, waiting to see what my job would be.

As it turned out, Kind Enma was on vacation and his son, the prince of Spirit World, was filling in for him. When I walked out of the office that day, I felt very relieved that I would be working for Koenma, but at the same time I was amazed. He was barely older than I, his teenage body between the boyhood and manhood types, yet he also took a toddler form for some vague energy conserving reason.

Now, in our millennia of a quite close and talkative friendship, it seems we have run out of things to say to each other. With a fork, I move around the food on my plate dejectedly, while I debate breaking the quiet.

All of a sudden, a random thought pops into my mind. What about Daja? It has been a few days since the detectives were deployed on their latest mission and since we left Daja and George in charge of the entire workings of Spirit World. I could call her up on the communicator and see how she's doing. Although I might be verbally assaulted, that sounds like a good plan. Fumbling in my kimono for the pocket communicator, I smile in a small way, and triumphantly pull out the small mirror.

"Botan?"

The world stops for a second while I look at Koenma. His face looks almost confused, but knowing at the same time.

I smile and connect to Spirit World, waiting for Daja to pick up. The screen fizzles and, with a pop, Daja's calm face appears on my small screen, her vibrant green eyes piercing yet accepting.

"Botan you didn't…" Koenma starts exasperatedly.

"Daja here."

With a look to Koenma, I start talking to Daja. "Hi Daja, it's Botan. How are you doing?"

Koenma sighs and leans back in his seat, while Daja's eyes lengthen in surprise.

"I am quite capable of handling the business you've left me with, but the rest of Spirit World is quite incapable of believing you left me in charge."

I chuckle at that, and Daja's face seems to loosen, almost become gentler. Here eyes also have dark blue streaks in them now.

"Daja, you'll be fine. How are the detectives doing?"

"I have yet to receive a message from them, so I honestly don't know at the current moment. Would you like me to call you when I am updated of their wellbeing?"

"That would be quite thoughtful."  
"I'll try to remember to."  
Suddenly, muffled voices come through the speaker, and one sounds demanding. Daja smiles and waves.

"Ayame is accusing me of murdering you both. I must defend myself."

"Good—" the screen goes blank with a click and I feel my face fall. "Bye."

I close the mirror and stare at my plate again. Koenma is still being mute, and it's starting to tear me apart. Silence hurts.

"Botan, are you lonesome here?"

Koenma's voice sounds almost worried. I don't really want to be a raincloud on this whole vacation, but this palace seems deserted. The only other person I have seen here are the scullery maid, and she is a real mute.

Lightheartedly I answer, "I just miss the hustle and bustle of the Imperial Palace, that's all."

Koenma leans back in his chair and grins. "Perhaps you need to be introduced to someone who lives in this palace. Someone that you can talk to besides me."

I answer quizzically. "One of the scholars?"

This palace has been the citadel of all of the Spirit World's most beloved scholars and teachers for the past million years. Over the years, however, the number of our teachers has declined and only few remain within these beautiful walls. The last scholar was appointed when I had just arrived at the palace. In fact, I think his induction ceremony was the first ever palace event I attended as a ferry girl, and what a gala it was! That was so long ago, when I was a mere child. What was his name…. As much as I try, I can't recall much about him, but I remember attending this service.

Koenma smiles knowingly. "Yes, you might remember him. He was one of my good friends before I ruled Spirit World when my father was on one of his vacations."

He stands up and motions for me to follow him. I grab my mirror and walk down one of the long hallways with him, the silence a little more bearable. After what seems like miles of tiled floors and beautiful archways, the hallway opens up into a lush atrium. Scrolls upon scrolls line the far wall, while a white sunlight streams down through the skylight and around the fountain and tree. Close to the eastern windows, a young man sits hunched over a writing easel, parchments scattered across his desk. His messy, reddish-brown hair is everywhere, and the glasses on his nose only make his hazel eyes appear larger and give him a casual and vibrant appearance. His intense gaze only weakens when my sandals click clack on the tile floor.

He looks back at us, and I recognize his face from long ago. He smiles and waves lightheartedly, but suddenly the air around him seems like it's changing. The white light feels like it is melting, swirling, colors separating out of the white light, expanding, contracting, until they seem to settle down into a spectrum.

The scholar gets up, his plain robes swirling and settling around his feet as he makes his way towards where Koenma and I stand. His voice is smooth, musical, and most of all friendly.

"Good Morning! I never thought you would come and see me in my atrium. It's been too long."

Koenma steps forward shakes the scholars hand, the friendship between them reigniting. "I know. I would have come earlier, but my father left me in charge for awhile."

The scholar laughs and adjusts his glasses. "I remember when you pined to rule the afterlife."

"It's not as glamorous as I thought." Koenma admits sheepishly. They both laugh, and I feel almost left out.

Koenma regains his composure and gestures for me to come forward and meet the scholar. He puts an arm around my shoulder, and introduces me to the scholar. "This is my most trusted Reaper, Botan."

The scholar holds out his hand as the air around him shifts again. "Hi Botan. I'm so glad to meet you. Koenma talked about you a lot when we were kids. I almost feel like I know you already!"

Koenma laughs and lets me go, sitting down in one of the chairs around the writing easel. The scholar sits down next to Koenma, and taking their lead, I sit down in another one of the chairs. We sit in a comfortable silence for a second, before the scholar starts humming ending the silence and bringing a strange, wonderful feeling to the room.

He looks at Koenma expectantly, then impatiently, then feelingly, then desperately, as if his whole existence is based on what Koenma says next. It is like seeing a short play acted out in front of me, and I start to laugh, although I am very much trying to cover it up politely with my hands.. His hazel eyes plead with Koenma, until he gives up. "Oh your impossible, Koenma. Really. You haven't grown up a bit. Aren't you going to introduce me?"

Koenma starts to, but he gets cut off as the scholar gets up to his feet and melodramatically falls back into his chair, his forearm resting on his forehead almost exasperatedly. "I should have never placed trust in you!" He sighs, leans forward towards me, and almost confidentially whispers, "Koenma was always the forgetful of the bunch."

Koenma starts the defend himself, and only gets out a "Hey now, wait a minute!" when the scholar leans back, his hands on his hips. With a smack of his lips and a click of his tongue, he cuts Koenma off. "Never mind you, I'll just introduce meself, like a proper scholar should." Sticking out his hand and grabbing mine, I can't help but to laughs as he shakes my hand and stands up, his eyes joyful and full of laughter.

"Miss Botan, beloved of Koenma's ferry ladies, please allow me to introduce meself. I am the culture Sage of the Spirit World and the art major of this palace. I am a mercenary of medleys, a storyteller of wicked stories, the head of the strategic—"

Koenma snorts as he tries to stifle his laughter, but I am only vaguely aware of that.

The scholar looks peeved, but clears his throat and continues with gusto. "—he head of command on the ship Sunfire, a thief of gynormous proportions, the man behind a leading lady, and a prince of the Vaev'shaj stage. "

All of a sudden, he bows with grandiose, his forefinger touching his brow and his knees bending, the overall motion similar to a bow mixed with a…

My mind goes back to those days I spent with Daja in the human world, and the small accidents when she would let one of the secrets about her past slip out. Realization fills me as the scholar returns to an upright position. My mind starts to click into place become conscious of the answer that has been in front of me since that night so long ago when I first learnt about Daja's past, when she let it slip that she felt terrible about not telling "him" about her feelings.

He stands up and looks quite pleased with himself. He adjusts his glasses and blows a stray bang out of his eyes. Sitting back down comfortably, he says with the greatest of ease, "My name is Damien Rainwater."

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**Satori-Sama:** Alright, I've got to go and do some homework. I'll try to update tomorrow. Leave me a review to tell me what you thought of my work after such a long bout of being dumb and not writing anything but research papers_. 99 red balloons floating in the summer sky,_ Satori-Sama signing out for the evening. 

insert ending thingy here because Satari-Sama is too stressed over class elections to think one up (she ran for president, hope she wins!)


	24. Part IV Chapter 24: Prospects

Wow, its been nearly a dozen months since my last update. I thank you all for being patient with me. I've really been finding my place in the world and society in these past months, not only as a writer, but as a person. Things have changed for me, but I'm back for awhile, or so I sincerly hope.

Thanks again for reading.

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_**Chapter 23: Prospects**_

**_Rayne:_** "It was a good show, don't you think?" I say thoughtlessly, opening my vanity drawer to retrieve a small container of cold cream to remove layer upon layer of stage makeup from my skin.

Ebony looks over from her spot perched upon the ledge above the radiator, and smiles warmly, her pearly white teeth complimenting her smooth cheek lines.

"Excellent as ever, Rayne. I don't know how you do it. I used to be as good as you," she says casually, blowing a stray strand of her golden curls away from her face. She grins and grabs my iron fan, quickly opening it to hide her face behind and laughing good-naturedly, "but it'd be improper for me to dance and sing the way you do. After all, I'm a taken woman."

She and Zane have been together for a few years. It is surprising that he even lets her walk around alone in the casino, with all the lustful demons running amok in this godforsaken city.

I pick up my pitcher of cold water and pour it into my wash basin, rinsing my face and feeling quite refreshed from the cool liquid washing away the sweat from my brow. As I dry off my face with a clean square of terrycloth, I look into the mirror and see Ebony studying me with a soft smile.

"You're gorgeous, you know." She said with a friendly smile, jumping off the radiator and landing perfectly in her high heels. I can only imagine her grace is from years of entertaining. I myself prefer to be barefoot, but what can I do? Not much.

"Thanks Ebony?" I say with a laugh, grabbing my coat and putting it over my new purple corset. I've long since changed out of my stage clothes for a more... suitable attire. Putting an arm around her shoulder, I laugh again, pulling on her hair and then bursting through the door, hearing her surprised shout radiate from behind me as I run down the hall, dodging the newer, flashier dressed showgirls.

Something pegs me in the back of the head, and I stumble a bit, clutching my neck as I continue to flee my dressing room. I bet it was her shoe. She can't run that fast in heels, even with all her years of graceful dancing behind her. I throw a quick glance over my shoulder and—yep, it was her left shoe.

Suddenly, my mind goes blank, and eyesight fails, the world falling dark around me as I stumble into the wall grasping for support. The virus... I can't... I won't give into the viral infection...

"Rayne?"

A worried voice enters my ears. It doesn't sound that familiar. I know, it must be one of the new showgirls. I can't tell though, and it bothers me. I usually make it a point to go and introduce myself to every single one of even the most junior dances because I myself am one of the most senior. I even lent Eriko, one of the new apprentices, one of my kimono, an unheard of act among my native people. Kimono are like extensions of ourselves as beings of grace, beauty, and dance. It was like giving myself to her to wear for the evening. I even tied her obi in an especially eye pleasing manner.

"Rayne!" Hands grab me, and I feel supported by what feels like four of five sets of hands.

I shake my head vigorously, rubbing my eyes, the world slowly coming into focus with four girls in various stages of dress staring at me with worried eyes. "I'm... I'm fine."

Ebony looks at me, chewing on one perfectly manicured nail somewhat absentmindedly. "Maybe we should have worked you back up to the old program..."

Mayuri blinks and looks at me with a weak smile. "Can I get you anything, Rayne-sama?" Sama sounds so foreign to my ears. "Your skin is usually so pretty, but it is so pale..."

I shake my head. "No, I'm fine. Just a little woozy—I must have overworked myself." Smiling brightly, I raise my arms over my head and stretch, leaning back and pulling softly on the semi-tense muscles in my back. "I might just go get something to eat. I haven't eaten since breakfast."

Ebony looks up and down the hallways, scanning for a junior or an apprentice to send with me, as a safeguard. Not only are we all dancers, we all have some ability to defend ourselves. Zane made sure we all knew some form of defensive martial arts as a precaution against lusting demons hungry for flesh.

Her gorgeous brown eyes land on Hiroko, the newest initiate into our little "dancing school". She looks so awkward, dressed in her little kimono. I smile somewhat, noting how oddly her obi is tied. She must have done it quickly after rehearsal. If only she knew how strange it looked. I will have to scold the other girls for not offering to help her tie the knot. Ebony motions her forward with a little wiggle of her elegant fingers.

"Hiroko, would you please escort Miss Rayne back up to her room. I daresay you know where it is. I'd be so much obliged." The way Ebony speaks is so, so, how you say, alluring, it's hard for me to even tell she isn't asking, but ordering timid little Hiroko to take me back upstairs to the Dancers' Floor.

Hiroko bows slightly, hands clasped tightly. "Yes, Ebony, ma'am."

I smile at her and she bows to me as well, this bow slightly deeper than the one she gave Ebony. I mentally note never to bring that up with Ebony ever, seeing as the deeper bow means that little Hiroko is more aligned with me than her.

We walk down the halls towards the service elevator that leads to the Dancer's floor, and we chat idly. I offer to teach her how to tie her obi, and she thanks me and asks if I can help her learn how to dance with a fan. Zane said that her figure would most likely be complimented by learning traditional fan dances. I can only assume that Zane was not in fact complimenting her beauty—for she was quite a lovely young girl—but simply thinking about her resell value...

Sometimes I wonder if I, too, will be worth more in my weight in gold, than my weight in flesh...

After all these years... Will I become only a piece a property once more...

Hiroko drops me off at my door, and bows as I enter my small, but lavishly furnished apartment. I smile and say goodbye, keeping a good face.

Muttering, I hang my coat up on one of the hooks, already halfway reaching back to untie the loosened strings of my corset. I don't even know why I bothered putting it on. Still, I should feel blessed to have such a secure place in Zane's empire...

"At least my prospects are better than Hiroko's..."

The last initiate was only here two months before... Well, before she left for so called better waters. What was her name? Eh... it's probably best I don't remember. So many girls come in and out of this casino that I've lost track, even in the few years I've been here.

I collapse on the couch, sprawling and staring out the window. Are my prospects really that much better than little Hiroko's? I'm still young and shapely, I can dance, sing, and cook somewhat, and from what I hear, and those qualities are highly prized among those who would purchase one of us.

Sighing, I roll over and pull a blanket on top of me, my eyes growing dim and my head dizzy... The virus still...

Murmuring softly, I close my eyes and try to drift off to sleep. My only consolation is in what I will soon do for all these girls I have become friends with... what I will do for my people... what I will do for myself...

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Thanks again for reading. I hope you have enjoyed it as much I have have, and dont worry, there is plenty of story bottled up in me from my unplanned "vacation". Tell me what you think in a review, constructive criticism is always welcome.

She can't play a note if the basic guitar aint playing with her, Satori Sama out for the night.


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